


Alone No Longer

by JensenAckles13



Series: Chaotic (and Slightly Psychotic) [1]
Category: Avengers, Frostiron - Fandom, Norse Mythology
Genre: Abusive Relationship, Alex is only in the first chapter, Fury gives people headaches, I promise it's gonna be FrostIron, Loki has a heart, Loki likes giving hugs, M/M, May be more characters, People give Fury headaches, Stepdad Tony, Tags may change/be added, That's only in the first chapter too, Tony Feels, Tony Needs a Hug, Tony doesn't understand, but not to Tony, he likes Tony, loki is a little shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-07-29
Packaged: 2018-02-04 00:15:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 22,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1760467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JensenAckles13/pseuds/JensenAckles13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Loki rescues- no, Loki, it wasn't a rescue, he's not some damsel in distress- Tony from his abusive boyfriend, Alex, Tony realizes that the god who helped him is not the god who destroyed half of New York.</p><p>"Why have you allowed me to stay? After all I've done? Why give me a chance?"<br/>"Everyone deserves a second chance, Lo."<br/>"I've had plenty more than two."<br/>"Then everyone deserves another."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rescue Mission

It was no secret that Tony was about as alone as alone could possibly get.   
Rhodey had given up trying to talk to him after the incidents in New York. He hadn’t wanted to deal with a self-destructive Tony who steadfastly refused to listen to any attempt at help.   
Pepper had left him after one of his suits had nearly broken her wrist yanking her away from the nightmare-induced panic he’d been in.   
As for the Avengers….well, he was indefinitely taken off the team. They still lived in the tower, because apparently they still needed his money despite him having been kicked off the team. Bruce, who’d always been a good science bro, had long since given up trying to talk any type of sense into him, whether it was towards his health or a new project he was working on; he very rarely spoke to Tony, though when he did, it was in that soft-spoken tone someone would use if they were talking to a scared child. Perhaps that’s what everyone saw him as.   
He was man enough to admit that yes, this had been his fault. He’d pushed his friends away and nearly hurt the one person he’d ever loved. Yes, he had been a selfish asshole and he knew it just as well as everyone else in the damn world apparently did too.   
So when he’d met Alex, he’d been happy.  
Hell, he’d been more than happy. He’d been ecstatic.   
They’d been together for seven and a half months when Alex first hit him.   
Neither of them had been drunk, though Tony might have had one drink too many. But he was in no way drunk. So when a punch landed squarely across his jaw, he was more than a little surprised. His arms had wind-milled before he’d slammed his back into the liquor cabinet, shattering the glass.  
When he’d awoken, it was to Alex’s quiet curses as he ever so gently picked the glass from Tony’s back and sent soft apologies his way.   
The twenty-third time Alex had bruised him with vicious kicks and heavy hits, Tony understood that whatever he was being hit for was his fault and he needed to suck it up. After all, he’d been selfish in his relationship with Pepper. Everyone told him that; he hadn’t been responsible, he hadn’t thought, he hadn’t tried harder.   
So Tony tried.   
He refused to break it off with his boyfriend because Alex loved him and he loved Alex.  
He didn’t tell anyone about what was going on because nothing was wrong.   
He loved Alex. And Alex loved him….right?  
Kisses were replaced with fists and once gentle touches gave way to bruised skin.     
A year and three days after they’d been together, and that was when it happened.   
Tony had been downstairs, tinkering in his lab, working on upgrading his suits. He hadn’t been ready for New York and he sure as shit wasn’t letting that happen again.   
So when Alex came down, hastily putting in the code and stormed inside, red-faced and wild eyed, Tony knew he’d done something and he knew it had been bad.

“You,” Alex hissed, loathing clear in his tone. Tony stood, carefully maneuvering himself around scrap metal and tools, hands held up.

“What happened, Alex?” he asked in a soothing tone.

“You hit on my secretary?!” Alex screamed, rushing forward and landing a solid punch squarely in Tony’s gut. Tony briefly had time to wonder if Alex was talking about when he’d asked her what to get Alex for a birthday present- they _had_ looked secretive- so, really, it was his fault, before his boyfriend was hauling him upright and shoving him back into his table, knocking it over and sending the metal and tools flying, a half built gauntlet shattering on impact, loose screws flying and wires sparking. He tried to say that _no, that’s not what happened_ , but Alex was already too far gone. Kicks rained down on Tony, fists sometimes thrown in as well. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could do; he deserved this. He should’ve just asked Alex what he’d wanted for his birthday, he should’ve.   
He settled for curling into a ball and keeping his arms around his head to protect it, his shirt collar tight between his teeth so he didn’t cry out because he knew that would simply make Alex more angry.   
Alex had just picked up a wrench, arm drawn back as he prepared to land a blow that would surely cause permanent damage, when a cool and very pissed off voice rang out;

“If you wish to see the next five minutes, I suggest you put it down.”  

And god, Tony knew that voice. He’d heard it in New York and he’d heard it in his nightmares every night.  
Alex froze, hazel eyes widening as he turned minutely, eyes easily finding the tall, leather clad god looming over him. Funny, Tony hadn’t even seen him. Perhaps he’d had his eyes closed.   
And boy did Alex put it down. In fact, it clattered so loudly in the deafening silence that had followed Loki’s threat, that Tony jumped, scrambling away from the wrench as if it could somehow hurt him.   
Loki didn’t look at him, however; his snarling face and death glare _(which would probably be the picture in the dictionary if you looked up ‘Reaper’)_ were solely focused on Alex. Jarvis was speaking to him but it was far away somehow. Odd….he didn’t have any hearing problems. He did remember telling Jarvis that no, they did not need to alert _anyone_ of Loki’s presence, and perhaps that was a bad idea but he couldn’t really think about it because his heart was trying to beat out of his chest and his throat seemed to tighten so he couldn’t breathe and his hands were trembling so badly that he couldn’t pick up anything that _could_ be used as a weapon and dammit he just needed to _breathe_ but he couldn’t and oh, his vision is tunneling and he can’t really see anything but Loki’s suddenly worried looking face and that’s odd because ‘worried’ isn’t a look you would expect to see on a psychotic god and wow, Loki had really pretty eyes and he still couldn’t breathe and then….  
And then….  
And then….  
And….then….  
Nothing.

*

When Tony woke, his entire body felt like it was one big bruise and his mouth was dry as cotton.   
It took him a moment to remember just what the hell he had drank last night and the answer to that had been a very big, very bold _nothing_.   
Because of this, it took him even longer to pinpoint what had happened and when he did, he wished he hadn’t so he pretended he didn’t.   
He felt something on his head, and realized hey, a cooling washcloth was laid across his forehead and my, it was doing _wonders_ for the ache he could feel pounding away in his temples.   
He shifted on the bed _(Bed? When had he gotten there?)_ , and let out a soft groan as everything suddenly seemed to hurt more.

“Hush, dear Anthony,” a soft voice said from somewhere to his side as beautifully gentle fingers carded through his hair. And yes, that was part of the problem he really didn’t want to address, but he was really hoping it wasn’t.   
He peeked open an eye, and indeed it was.   
Sitting next to him, perched on the edge of the bed with a book folded across his lap, was the God of Mischief himself, green eyes full of relief and worry all at the same time and he really thought Loki should have that in his eyes more often; it made him look a lot less menacing and a lot more innocent. And really, innocent shouldn’t be at all associated with the words ‘Loki’ or ‘God of Mischief’ and- wait, _green?_

“Rudolph,” he said slowly, letting the other eye fall open so he could gaze up at the god. “Why are your eyes green?”   
Loki scoffed, disbelief written plainly across his features.

“I apologize, Stark,” Loki said. “If the color offends you.”

_What happened to ‘dear Anthony’? I liked that._

“No, no, not at all,” Tony said on a breath of a laugh, which quickly turned into a grimace as it pulled on bruised ribs. “It’s just…before, in New York….they were blue.” And belatedly he realized the same blue as Barton’s had been.   
It took a lot longer than it should have to realize that yes, he had been right in guessing that Loki had been mind whammied during the invasion- he’d voiced his doubts to Fury, but had, of course, been ignored _(He was only a genius; why listen to him?)_.

“This is true,” Loki replied, studying him. “I had been manipulated by the Chituari. I do apologize for the damage I have caused, however. I understand you have gotten your window fixed?”   
Tony would’ve laughed again, had he been sure he wouldn’t have immediately regretted it afterwards.

“Yeah, Rudolph, I got it fixed.”   
Loki hummed in response, but his gaze was fixed somewhere Tony couldn’t see.   
“So, I hate to ruin this little moment we’ve got going, but why are you here?”

Loki turned back to look at him, a frown dipping his brow. “My intentions have been pure- I saw you were in need of assistance, so I assisted.”

“What?” Tony asked, tilting his head ever so slightly. “With Alex?” When he only got a nod, he continued. “I don’t need help with Alex. Everything’s fine.”   
The frown deepened.

“Do you truly not understand?” Loki asked softly, staring down at him with the same intensity in his eyes that they’d held in New York, though this time to reasons unknown to Tony.   
And no, he truly did not understand.   
There were no problems with Alex- they loved each other. Was that a problem?

“Where is he?” Tony asked instead, worry and something, something that felt like hope bubbling in his chest. Hope for what, though?

“He is safe. Though you will not see him again, nor will he ever lay a hand on you.”   
And then there was relief.  
He closed his eyes.   
And suddenly he realized what he’d been hoping for.   
When he opened them once more, the god was already gone. 


	2. Hallucinations?

So, okay, maybe Tony was pretty sure he’d hallucinated the Menace of New York appearing in his lab to get his pissed off boyfriend _(ex-boyfriend? There sure as hell hadn’t been a breakup)_ away from him.   
Sort of. Possibly. Pretty sure. It was probable?  
But the thing was, Alex, hadn’t showed up and it had been a week and a half since the ‘Incident’, as Tony had ominously dubbed it.   
And maybe he’d been down in his lab for the last four of those days, pretending he didn’t have a company to run or papers to sign or poptarts to get so Thor didn’t go berserk and break the toaster _(Again. Tony had never forgotten to get Jarvis to buy poptarts again)_.   
And maybe Pepper had called him at least two dozen times and asked him to sign the papers she wanted signed so that she could okay the project they were working on in Qatar ( _Which he was fairly certain was getting a new clean energy bill passed through Stark Industries but he wasn’t really sure).  
_ But hey, they were only responsibilities, right?  
He was far more worried about having fucked up another relationship and trying to figure out what the hell Hallucination _(but possibly not)_ -Loki had meant when he’d asked him if he truly hadn’t understood.   
What was there to understand? He’d fucked up. Again. He’d been selfish. Again. He’d ruined it all. Again. There wasn’t anything to understand. At least, there shouldn’t have been. But Loki seemed to think differently.   
Apparently there was something that he didn’t understand.   
And Tony Stark did not like not understanding.   
Quite possibly more than he did not like having a Norse god appear in his room at 3 a.m.   
No, definitely more.   
He sighed; he’d let his mind wander from his task of finding the god. _Again_. It seemed there were a lot of things he did more than once that he shouldn’t have done more than once.

“Jarvis?” he asked, taking a sip of the black liquid gold that was currently too hot to drink but he was drinking anyways.

“Sir?”

“Have you found Loki’s energy signature _anywhere?_ ”

“Well, sir, it would appear he’s very busy. I’ve not caught it for more than five minutes in any one place. He’s so far gone from New York to Germany, back to New York, to Shield Headquarters and back to New York once more.”   
_What the fuck?_

“What’s in New York, Jarv?”

“It…appears to be a bank, sir,” the AI said after a moment’s hesitation.  
 _Okay, double what the fuck._

“Alright….what’s he doing?”

“ _Sir!_ ” his AI sounded alarmed. That was not good, especially since he wasn’t supposed to _sound_ anything.

“It _is_ rather rude to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong,” a smooth voice said behind him. Tony startled and spun around, knocking his coffee mug over and shattering it on the floor in his haste.

“Dammit!” he cursed, jumped to his feet when boiling hot coffee poured down the front of his shirt.   
“Don’t do that,” he grumbled, ineffectively batting at his shirt to get the burning liquid from his skin. He’d never admit that his heart was pounding almost painfully against his ribcage, or that his hands were shaking so badly that he hadn’t _knocked_ it over but rather _dropped it_.   
Loki seemed to realized this, however, as a frown dipped his brow. It was gone before Tony had time to really look into it.   
Dammit, what had gotten into him? He didn’t just get scared. Not this easily, at least. Not since….Alex….He sighed. _Dammit_.

“What would you prefer I do?” the god asked, eyes narrowing in amusement, an elegant brow arched. “Ask politely to be let in? Or perhaps ring the nonexistent doorbell?”  
 _Well, okay, he had a point there but…still…._

“Fine,” he snapped, waiting for his heart rate to return to normal. “What were you doing?”

“Transferring money from one of my bank accounts to charities that were helping repair their cities from the Chituari invasion.” It was said with such honesty that Tony stared at him for a solid two minutes and twenty three seconds before being able to answer.

“You’re….joking right?” he asked finally.   
The other brow arched as well as Loki gave him this ‘and they say you’re a genius’ mixed with ‘do I really have to spell this out for you’ look with just a bit of ‘you mewling quim’ added in.

“Why would I be joking, Stark?” he asked, a bored tone to his voice.

“Uhm…psychotic god that destroyed half of New York, took out a guys eye and asked people to kneel?” He waved his hands in exasperation. “Any of that ringing a bell?”

“Indeed it is, Stark. I also seem to remember having told you that it was not technically my doing.”   
Tony sighed. Okay, so maybe they did have that conversation.   
Ah, screw it, there’s no point in putting this off.

“So…where’s Alex?” he asked casually as he began picking up the broken shards of glass, not looking up at the god.

“I told you last night, Stark. He’s safe.” Loki’s voice cut in, hard and cold suddenly. Tony still couldn’t find it in himself to look up.

“Where, exactly, is safe?” He reached for another large, blue ceramic piece.

“You know, Stark, I can bring him back for you,” Loki snapped. “Is that what you want?”   
Tony’s hand slipped and the shard slashed across his palm, opening a wide gash.   
He hissed, cursing the trembling in his hands as he tried to staunch the blood flow. A deep sigh above him drew his attention, and cool hands took his own in a gentle grasp.   
“Anthony….” Loki trailed off and smoothed his thumb across the gash in Tony’s palm. Soft emerald green light lit up his palm, and when it faded, the gash had healed.   
Tony gazed up at him, brow furrowed in confusion.

“Why?” Tony asked quietly.

“Why what, Anthony?” Loki asked, absentmindedly stroking his thumb across Tony’s knuckles. 

 “Why are you helping me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I...think I like this chapter...maybe...


	3. Helping Hand

Loki’s brow furrowed as if in genuine confusion and Tony hurried to elaborate.

“I mean, why _would_ you want to help me?”  
This time there was no confusion in Loki’s eyes, and he appeared to be thinking of how to phrase whatever it was he was going to say.

“I believe,” the god finally said, slowly. “You have hit a point in your life where you can no longer tell right from wrong. Sociopath is the correct term, I believe. Though you are not performing these sociopathic actions, they are being done to you, yet you do not seem to realize that bruises have come to replace a lover’s gentle caress.”   
Tony frowned, opening his mouth to deny it, but Loki continued talking.   
“I intend to show you how a lover should be treated, if you will let me.”   
Whatever denial Tony had on his tongue died on his lips.   
He stared at the god with open shock, and he was fairly certain his jaw hit the floor and that he looked like a fish, but he couldn’t help it.   
He gaped at Loki for a full ten seconds before closing his mouth, teeth clicking loudly together.

“Uh,” he answered eloquently.

“You do not have to answer now,” the god rushed, eyes moving to the floor. “I understand. We were once enemies. You do not trust me and that is fine.”   
They were silent again.

“So,” Tony said, just for the sake of talking. “How was it that you knew to, ah….” The mechanic cleared his throat. “Save me?”   
Loki glanced up from where he was still idly- and more than a little absently- stroking his thumb across Tony’s knuckles. Tony didn’t complain. He had been so touch-starved these past months, it was heaven; if, you know, you believed in that sort of thing, which Tony definitely did not. Though he suspected this is what heaven would feel like.

“I have been watching,” Loki replied, a faraway look in his eyes. “You drew my attention when you offered me that drink; you knew what I was capable of, yet you had the audacity to threaten me. And you did a damn good job. Do not get me wrong- I felt no fear; I did, however, feel the power of your words. You were able to worry me, upset me, and that rarely happens to a Liesmith. You genuinely surprised me. I wanted to see you, not through the Tesseract, but through my own eyes and mind.”   
Tony nodded in understanding; well, okay, he understood that he’d surprised a god, big whoop _(and not at all good for his already large ego, no sir)_. But why Loki would actually put in the effort to save him, a mortal who he saw as, at least _did_ see as, an ant that needed to be squished beneath his boot.

“So you’re stalking me?” he asked, raising a brow and totally, maybe, possibly ruining whatever moment they were having.   
Loki huffed out a surprised laugh.

“I suppose you could call it that, in lack of a better word.”

“No, I’ll call it that ‘cause that’s what it is,” Tony replied flippantly. Loki rolled his eyes, but pulled away from him, waving a hand and cleaning the glass up. Tony would be lying if he said he didn’t miss that gentle caress already. It had been so, so long since he’d been touched like he mattered, not like he was some wild animal.

“Do you have a place I can rest? Watching you gets quite exhausting; you never seem to sit still.” Loki’s voice was deadpan, but there was exhaustion thinly veiled underneath.

“Try _being_ me,” he grouched, but had a slight smile curving his lips. “Yeah, follow me.” He headed towards the guest bedroom on his floor- right next to his own bedroom- but stopped suddenly, turning to face the god.   
“You never _did_ tell me where Alex was.”   
Loki sighed a deep sigh of long suffering.

“He is in the hospital.”   
Shock nearly drove Tony to walk into the doorframe.   
He spun to face the god, eyes wide.

“Why? What happened? I thought you said he was safe?” Lord, why did he even care? It was as if some part of him, some ridiculous, irrational part, still cared for Alex. Or perhaps it wasn’t caring so much as worried as to what ‘safe’ entitled and whether or not he would have to deal with a homicidal god.

“Relax, Anthony. He will heal. He has only a concussion. And perhaps two broken arms, but that is neither here nor there.” There was a…triumphant undertone to the god’s voice, and Tony sighed, but didn’t comment because again, he felt relief. Whether it was the fact that Alex was incapacitated at the moment or that Loki had not, in fact, killed him, he wasn’t sure.

“Here, this is the guest room.” He said, leading Loki in and doing his damndest to ignore the thoughts raging in his brain, working up to give him a nice throbbing ache in his temples. “That,” he pointed to another door. “Is the bathroom. That’s the closet,” he waved to the open doorway on the opposite side of the bed. “And that,” he motioned to a lamp. “Is a lamp. Thus concluding our tour of à lá Tony. Any questions and comments can and will be taken now.”    
Loki chuckled lightly, but shook his head.

“That will be all, Anthony. Thank you.” And the god sounded genuinely happy and thankful; Tony couldn’t help but smile.

“‘Course,” he replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.   
Loki smiled over at him and nodded his head in response, before moving toward the bed, looking pointedly at Tony. Tony lingered in the doorway for a moment later, hesitating before saying,  
“Sweet dreams, Loki.”   
And it was without sarcasm or mockery. It was true and simple.   
Loki looked surprised at this- how Tony managed to continue doing this, he really had no idea- but nodded, allowing a small smile go grace his features and Tony thought the god should really smile more; it lit up his features, no matter how small. It made him look so much younger, so innocent, despite the look of someone who had been through too much that always hid in his too green, too beautiful eyes.   
_Oh_ , Tony realized, perhaps a little belatedly. _He was attracted to Loki_.   
And that made him want to hide in his lab, so he did the only thing he could think of; leave doorway to go hide in his lab.   
He almost missed the quiet voice that chased after him, but he didn’t and he smiled when he caught the whispered words.

“Sweet dreams, Anthony.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short- sorry! Let me know what you think!   
> Also, I'll be going out of town for a week or two so probably won't be able to post anything in that time. Sorry again!  
> Thank you for reading and let me know what you think!


	4. Nightmares

_He was falling._  
It was not a graceful fall; he was spinning, tumbling out of control. It was all too much- dizzying, making him want to throw up.   
It was dark.   
Oh, it was so dark.   
The type of darkness that swallows you whole and weighs down on you until you can’t breathe-  
No, no, that was just the water.   
A hand gripped his hair, yanking him free.   
Light.   
Bright, blinding light and blessed, cool oxygen that burned on its way to his lungs but it felt so, so good.   
Shouts in a language he didn’t understand.   
Weapons- his weapons.   
They were everywhere, strewn around the room and torn apart.   
And then his head was shoved back underwater and oh god, he was going to die here in a foreign land and god dammit he had so much he wanted to do, so much to apologize for and-

“Anthony!”

 _Wait, no; that wasn’t supposed to be there._  
Soft hands on his shoulders but god, he still can’t breathe and his lungs are screaming at him to just fucking breathe but he can’t because his throat is too tight and his chest hurts too badly, like there’s someone sitting on it.   
A harsh slap across his face and suddenly he can breathe and it’s not dark- no, yes it is, but it shouldn’t be because he should be able to see the light of the arc reactor and oh, god, it’s too dark-

“ANTHONY!”

A face is hovering above his, bathed in shadows, dark waves spilling over his shoulders.   
Cool breath ghosts across his face, smelling like winter-mint and oh; that’s why his chest hurt.   
Loki’s full weight was on it, the god’s knees on either side of Tony’s body, one hand smothering the light of the arc reactor so he could keep his balance, the other still poised above Tony’s face.

“Loki,” he gasped, choking on the word as it rolled from his lips.   
Loki ever so slowly moved off of him, and only now did Tony realize they were on the floor in his lab, and he couldn’t help but wonder how in the _hell_ he’d gotten there- oh. That must’ve been why he’d felt like he was falling.   
A cool hand curled around his own, an arm wrapping around his shoulders as he was tugged into a sitting position. Exhausted from his nightmare and the physical over-exertion he’d been putting himself through the past few weeks, he sank into the god, if only for a moment, to get his bearings back.   
When Loki’s hand moved towards his face, however, he flinched away, scooting away from the god, prepared for a strike.   
When none came, he hesitantly moved his gaze from the floor, seeking out Loki’s eyes.   
The god’s were wide with sadness and something akin to guilt.

“I won’t hurt you, Anthony,” Loki murmured softly, his hand hesitantly reaching out again. This time, Tony let him, though he followed the god’s movements with careful eyes. That hand came to rest on his head, fingernails scratching comfortingly against his scalp and he let out a soft, content sigh.   
“Would you like to talk about it?” Loki asked, so gentle and quiet, as if they weren’t sitting on the cold concrete of Tony’s lab, as if there was no fading red mark on his face from being slapped into awareness, as if Loki didn’t just save him from his own tormented mind.   
The hand that had found his hair was now moving to grasp his own in a soft yet steady grip, reminding him he was not alone.

“It….” Tony started, his voice hoarse. Dummy rolled over with a glass of water, and Tony gratefully took it, flashing a small smile at his oldest creation and then sipping at the water, the coolness of it soothing his throat, aching from….what, from _screaming?_ Had he been down here screaming? Is that why Loki had come down?   
“It was about Afghanistan.” There. He said it. Loki nodded, encouraging him to go on. “I…they were trying to…I dunno…drown me, I guess. They wanted weapons…b-but I couldn’t figure out what they were saying ‘cause they were talking in a different language….” He stopped there, finding his throat too choked to continue on.   
Loki was gazing at him again with sad eyes, and the god leaned forward, wrapping Tony in his arms.   
Tony tensed for a moment, but when the god didn’t let go, he slowly began to relax, his head coming forward to fall against Loki’s collar bone.

“Will you be alright?” Loki asked.   
Tony didn’t have an answer, so he didn’t say anything.

“Thank you.” He spoke the words so quietly, he wasn’t sure whether or not Loki would hear them. It seemed, however, that the god did; Tony could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke.

“Of course.” Loki was quiet for a moment before continuing, albeit hesitantly. “If you would like, I could give you a peaceful sleep.” The god leaned back, roaming calculating eyes across Tony. “You need it.”

“No…no nightmares?” Tony asked, wincing at the hope in his voice.   
Loki simply smiled.

“No nightmares,” he confirmed.   
Tony nodded, perhaps a bit too eagerly, but he wasn’t going to pass up a night of uninterrupted rest. Loki had been correct in saying he needed it- he hadn’t slept through the night since New York.   
The god gripped his hand a bit tighter and stood, pulling Tony along with him.   
Tony was led to his bedroom, where the god legitimately tucked him in, pulling the silken blankets up to his waist and smoothing a hand over his sweat-soaked hair.   
“Sleep now, Anthony,” Loki murmured, bringing his hands to Tony’s face. Green light was moving lazily between his fingers, and Tony tensed, not knowing what to expect.   
When the god’s fingers found his temples, instead of pain _(Who_ knows _why he’d been expecting that)_ , he got a soothing, warm feeling that spread from his head to his toes, relaxing his muscles and clearing his mind.   
He sank into the sheets, eyes already falling closed because, oh, that felt so wonderful- his mind had never been this blank; it was always chaos up there but now, it was controlled chaos stored in some place he’d rather not know.   
The god shifted a bit, and Tony felt the bed dip beside him but those wonderful fingers never left his head, instead rubbing soothing circles.   
With his mind empty and his body pleasantly warm and relaxed, he sank into the best sleep he’d ever had, not even having it in him to ask where, exactly, all this thoughts had gone because they were simply _gone_.   
He didn’t know that they weren’t gone, but rather _transferred_ , Loki stealing away all his nightmares and thoughts, and keeping them for himself.   
He didn’t know that the god sat up with him all night with Tony’s chaos running through his mind, suffering through the nightmares that weren’t his.   
Tony didn’t know, but he would.   
He also didn’t know that Loki would happily do it again, and again, and again….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I won't be able to post anything from now, until at least next monday, have another chapter!


	5. Better Left Unsaid

There were a lot of things Tony didn’t know.   
One being why the hell there was a god sleeping with his head resting on Tony’s chest, raven locks acting as a curtain for the light of the arc reactor.   
Another being that it was nearly one o’clock in the afternoon and he was _still in bed_.   
And then that last one, the one he hadn’t really cared about last night; where the _fuck_ had his thoughts gone last night. Sure, it was possible that Loki had contained them to one single area and then isolated them from his mind. _How_ that would actually work, he was unsure. But it didn’t feel like they were isolated. They legitimately felt as if they were gone. So that left the fleeting question of _where?_ Okay, so perhaps _(probably)_ he was looking into this a little too much _(a lotta too much)_ and they weren’t actually gone _(but they definitely were)_.   
But he couldn’t deny that that was the best sleep he’d had in ages. For now, he decided, he’d let it slide. He’d ask when he had fully caught up on all the sleep that he really needed to catch up on.   
Instead he turned his gaze to Loki, who looked so innocent in sleep, so relaxed, especially when he couldn’t see the look in his eyes, the one that said he was too old for his body and too young to have gone through what he did. _What_ he’d actually gone through, Tony had no idea. He knew bits and pieces but he planned on figuring out later.   
For now, though, there was a gorgeous, peacefully sleeping god on his chest and he _really_ needed to go. He tried to move without waking Loki, but Loki’s arms _(which had apparently been around his waist this_ entire _time)_ were locked firmly around him, so that was out.   
So he went with option two.

“ _Ruuuuudolllllph!!!_ ”

Loki startled awake, looking around with wide green eyes before they latched onto Tony’s half asleep ones. He let out a growl and sat up abruptly. So abruptly that Tony was sure he was about to get his ass kicked.   
He cowered back into the blankets, his hands raised, prepared to protect his face from a fist that never came. He peeked out between his fingers and saw the god looking at him with wide, sorrowful eyes, so guilt-ridden and upset that he was unsure as what to do and immediately felt like a complete dick.   
He slowly lowered his hands, waiting.

“My apologies, Anthony. I…didn’t mean to startle you.”   
And then the god was whisking away, his cape _(he was still wearing that damn thing?)_ pooling elegantly around his feet.   
Tony watched him go without a word, even though he wanted to call him back, even if he couldn’t figure out why.   
_You’re falling for him…._ That tiny, annoying part of his brain called common sense whispered.   
He always had ignored that voice.   
Instead of calling after him, however, he sat there for a solid half hour, contemplating his life choices, before crawling out of his wonderful king sized bed and to his bathroom, where he could shower in peace.   
Twenty minutes of hot water and soap later, and he made his way out of the bathroom with a towel slung low around his hips.  
And then let out a very manly shriek as he caught sight of the tall, black haired god standing in front of his bed, gazing at him with cool green eyes.   
Tony had long since gotten used to the bruises marring his body, but it seems Loki was…not pleased at the sigh. It didn’t show in his face, oh no. His eyes thought, were on fire, livid and royally pissed off and Tony thought maybe he should run and hide because that fury looked like it was going to be released in a tidal wave of broken bones and bloodied knuckles.   
That, however, was not what happened.   
Tony flinched when Loki stepped forward, but the god didn’t step back like he usually would.   
He took in the bruises and scars and ever so gently ran his fingers across them, one by one, as if he were mapping out their existence.   
Tony gaped at the god for a solid two minutes as Loki’s eyes traced over his body; the hand-shaped bruises on his hips, the scars from unforgiving metal hand-cuffs on his wrists, the rope burns on his ankles….  
And then, those eyes that had softened just the smallest bit got livid once more and the god seethed to himself, but Tony only caught snippets.

“I’m going to rip his testicles off….” And “He’s never doing this to _anyone_ ….” And “He _will_ suffer my wrath….”

It was about then that Tony realized that Loki was someone he should be abso-fucking-lutely terrified of, because he _would_ do those things to whoever it was he was talking about, and he really hoped it wasn’t him.   
It was also then that he realized Loki was no longer talking, but rather staring at him, and that Tony was halfway to naked already and that the god was getting a noticeable bulge in the front of those sinfully tight leather pants _(not that Tony had been looking)_ and that well, maybe he was too, seeing that.

“Uh….” Tony started eloquently. “Did you need something?”

“I….” Loki trailed off, shook his head, and moved his eyes back to Tony’s. “I did, but I seem to have forgotten what it is I wanted. I will be…in my chambers…”   
And then Loki preformed his wonderful _(terrible)_ disappearing act.   
Tony gazed at the spot he’d been standing for a moment before throwing his towel on the ground and falling back onto the bed, taking himself in hand and doing what needed to be done.   
When he’d finished, he cleaned himself up and quickly got dressed, throwing on a pair of worn jeans and a Metallica tee-shirt, along with his steel-toed work boots.   
He made his way slowly from his room, looking around in hopes that he wouldn’t _(would)_ see Loki, before heading to the elevator.   
And indeed he did see Loki, and, like the idiot he was, didn’t say a word.   
Instead he let his gaze roam across the god, taking in the disheveled appearance, mussed hair, and flushed cheeks. It was easy enough to put the picture together. The god had been doing exactly what Tony had been.   
The thought made him chuckle to himself, though it wasn’t necessarily funny, because that meant perhaps the god had been feeling the same thing for Tony that he’d been feeling for the god, though at the same time, he wasn’t actually sure _what_ , exactly, he was feeling.   
He really hated not knowing things.   
And not knowing things made him want to work.   
So, he did the only logical thing he could do; instead of actually thinking about the situation at hand, he went down to his lab, poured himself a nice glass of aged bourbon _(fuck anyone who said it was too early to drink)_ and began to work.   
After all, some things were better left unsaid. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, guys; I'm gonna try to set up a schedule of a chapter once a week. I'm not sure what day, but there will be one a week.   
> This is more of a filler chapter, and I'm not really sure how I like it, but we should get some frostiron action next chapter :)


	6. Accidental (but maybe not) Kiss

When it happened, Tony had not been….expecting it, per say. He’d been hoping for it, but never convinced that it would happen.   
Until it did.   
And then it was more of a ‘convincing himself it actually _did_ happen’ type of thing.

*

Tony had been down in his lab all day, working on the recto-reflective panels he’d planned on putting on his suit, effectively giving it a ‘Stealth Mode’.   
However, it would be fan-fucking-tastic if he could stop thinking about a certain raven haired god for five minutes so he could actually get them finished.    
Of course, that’s when said raven haired god appeared, bringing with him a gust of cool air, the only sign he was even in the room.   
Loki had done that quite a few times already today, and it was getting a bit annoying, though he _had_ grown used to it.

“What is it you need this time? I’ve already ordered you three pizzas. You don’t need anymore.”

“I do not require any food. I am bored, and you are alone. It must get lonely when you stay down here by yourself all day,” the god replied with a careless shrug.   
Tony glanced over his shoulder at him suspiciously, but shrugged a shoulder.

“Sure, knock yourself out. Just don’t break anything.” And with that, he tuned out the god and turned his mind back to the project at hand _(okay, more like tried unsuccessfully)_.

“Do not worry, Stark. I will break nothing. I am not a child.”

 Not ten minutes later, Tony was staring at the smoking remains of his cherry red Ferrari.   
_I will not yell…I will not yell…I will not yell…Fuck it, I’m yelling!_

“How the _fuck_ did you even do that?!” he yelled, spinning to face the god, who was standing by his work table innocently, his hands folded neatly in front of him, the gauntlet to one of Tony’s suits sitting on the table beside him.

“Well-” the god began, but Tony held up a hand, cutting him off.

“Don’t speak. I don’t want to know,” Tony grouched. Shit, that could be added to Tony’s ‘List of Things He Didn’t Want to Know’, right above ‘magic’ and ‘how the fuck Nat got into her suit’.   
Loki simply gazed at him with a sweet smile while he paced in front of his _(uber)_ expensive _(exploded)_ car.  
“Dummy!” he called, flapping his hand at the robot. “Now would be the _correct_ time to use the fire extinguisher!”   
And the bot in question whirred in response and rolled over, towards Tony.   
“Nah-ah-ah!” he cried, jumping back as the bot raised the hose. “The _car_ , you worthless piece of scrap metal!”   
Dummy dropped his arm, looking sad _(how that was even possible, he wasn’t sure- he was a fucking_ robot _for Christ’s sake!)_ , and Tony sighed, patting his arm.   
“You know I didn’t mean it, bud. You just can’t extinguish people who aren’t on fire.” And the bot whirred once more, before moving over to the car and spraying white foam all over the flaming mess, looking rather proud of himself as he did.   
Behind him, he heard Loki make a noise.   
“What?” He asked, turning to face the god with a raised brow, expecting mockery.   
That was not what he got, however. Loki had almost a…soft look in his eyes, his lips parted slightly in a gentle smile.   
It was odd and…honestly, quite intoxicating; beautiful in a sad way.

“They are your children.” It was said without question, more of a statement.   
Tony thought on that for a good seven seconds before nodding.

“Yeah, I guess you can call them that,” he replied, gazing around at the three robot’s in question. Dummy was just finishing dousing the flames; Butterfingers was trying to make a smoothie of some sort _(and it looked rather green and disgusting but Tony would drink it anyways)_ ; and U was picking up some loose screws that had fallen off the table, placing them delicately in their box, one by one.    
Loki followed Tony’s gaze, that gentle smile still on his face.   
“You have kids?” he asked as realization hit; that was a look of understanding.

Loki nodded, though it looked….sad. “I do. They were taken from me.” Before Tony could open his mouth, Loki beat him to it. “The AllFather took them, deeming them too dangerous for me to keep. Fenrir is a wolf, kept tied with Glepnir, a sword prying his mouth open. Hela was made Queen of the Dead and given her own realm. Jormungundr is in the ocean here, a serpent so large he could wrap round Midgard twice.”   
Tony thought on that, debating asking how in the _hell_ that had happened, but decided it better to keep his mouth shut.

“I’m sorry…” he murmured, gazing at Loki. “We’ll get them back…if you’re able to get, ah…Fenrir and Jor...Jormun….” He bit his lip, trying to repeat the name.

“Jormungundr,” Loki supplied absently.

“Yes, him. If you can get him human- magic or something- I’ll help you get them back.”

“I don’t think-”

“We can.” And there was conviction in Tony’s voice, letting the god know that they _would_ get his children back.   
Loki smiled again, the frown melting from his handsome features, morphing into something else entirely, something wonderful and soft and just for him.

“Thank you, Stark,” Loki murmured.

“Okay, if you’re gonna be staying here, you should really start using my name,” Tony said, in place of ‘you’re welcome’.

The god nodded. “Of course, Anthony.”   
Of course, the moment was ruined when Butterfingers accidently knocked the blender open, sending green smoothie all over the mini bar.

“Butterfingers…” he groaned, moving his attention to the bot, who dropped his arm in shame. “I’m gonna donate you to the children’s hospital….” He groused, shaking his head in exasperation and making his way over to the robot. But, of course, he didn’t see the screwdriver and stepped directly on it. It rolled beneath his foot and he slipped, crashing directly into Loki’s chest.   
The god’s arms wound around his waist in support, keeping him upright and flush against the gods chest.   
Tony’s eyes widened and he moved his gaze up to Loki’s candy apple green ones in surprise, even as Loki’s hand moved to cup his jaw, and his perfectly soft lips came down on Tony’s.   
Tony’s mouth formed a surprised ‘O’, but then he was kissing back and- _oh, holy sweet mother of god_ , that tongue swirled expertly around his mouth and Tony figured out why the god was called ‘Silvertongue’ because _holy hell that was fucking beautiful_.   
And then Loki yanked back, eyes wide in shock and something else that Tony couldn’t identify. Before Tony could say anything, the god was gone, and Tony tumbled to the ground, the only thing holding him upright no longer there.   
His mind a whirlwind of questions, most of them beginning with _why_ , he pushed himself to his feet because he had just kissed Loki, and even more so he’d _liked it_.   
He was definitely unable to concentrate on his work any longer, so he did the only thing he could do; he sat and stared at the wall of his lab, a glass of bourbon on his hand, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realized this would take forever had I only done a chapter a week, so I'm gonna move it up to bi-weekly.


	7. Can We Do 'It' Again/

Tony had never been good with names. Hell, have you _heard_ what he’d named his robots?   
So, of course, the only logical name he could think of for his and Loki’s kiss had been ‘It’.   
And maybe _(definitely)_ he was hoping It would happen again, but he hadn’t seen Loki in three days. He had a sneaking suspicion that the god was hiding from him.   
And he honestly didn’t know why.   
So when Loki suddenly showed up in his lab, he had been a little surprised but far more curious as to why he hadn’t seen the god in the past three days.   
Of course, in those three days he’d been in his lab, ignoring everyone else in the tower. Bruce had come down once to try to get him to sleep, but he blatantly refused and proceeded to kick his science bro out of his lab, though it seemed he had been about to leave anyways.   
He’d caught Clint in his vents twice before he told his AI to alert him whenever _anyone_ was in his vents or coming to his lab.   
No one had come down since.

“Why’ve you been hiding from me?” It was the first thing he said to the god, who had appeared sitting on a stool across from Tony.

Loki shrugged. “No reason.” He seemed to be back to his normal, non-hiding self, so that was a plus. But it also meant it _could_ be harder to figure out why he left in the first place.

“You know we have to talk about this, right?”

“No we don’t.”  
Alright, so Loki was feeling stubborn today. Well, that was okay because Tony could be just as stubborn; perhaps even more so.

“We do and we will. I know you were hiding, running, fleeing, whatever you wanna call it. And I want to know why.”   
Loki gazed at him for a long moment, and Tony met his eyes head on with his own determined stare. It was Loki who cracked first, with a long suffering sigh.

“I….” Loki began, clearing his throat and then trying again. “I was afraid of what I was feeling for you. I have not told many people of what has happened to my children, let alone some mortal who tried to kill me. It was then that I really thought about it, and realized I was having….feelings for you, ones that I had never planned on having.” Loki shook his head. “You make me feel safe, as if you won’t run away the moment you learn of what I have done, and perhaps that is a weakness for the both of us. You should run. But at the same time, I don’t want you to. So, instead, I did, because I knew you wouldn’t.” Tony stared at him, incomprehensive, waiting for Loki to continue.   
“What I’m trying to say, Anthony, is that I think I am falling for you, and that scares me. I have always hated going into the unknown, and I simply cannot figure you out. You have allowed me to stay when you should’ve made me leave; you have listened when I needed you to; you let me help you while you were helpless to fight back had I done something to you. You treat me as if I am your friend, even though I have hurt your friends and your city. And then you kissed me back and I realized that maybe….you were falling for me too.” Loki fell silent after that, biting his bottom lip. His eyes found Tony’s and stayed, holding his own with an intense green gaze that made Tony want to run away and leap into them at the same time.

“I think I might be…..” Tony trailed off, letting himself think that he actually saw hope in Loki’s eyes….and perhaps he had.   
But then those eyes were closing off and Loki was looking away and it was all over just as fast as it had started.   
Loki’s façade was firmly back in place, as if he had not just admitted to Tony that he was starting to feel _something_ for him, whatever that something may be; as if he had not just admitted he was scared of whatever it was. And perhaps that should scare Tony, but it didn’t.

“Don’t do that,” Tony said suddenly, moving his gaze back to the god, not realizing he’d moved it elsewhere.

Loki’s brow furrowed. “Don’t do what?”

“Close yourself off like that. Not after what you’ve just told me.” He shook his head. “Look, I don’t know what your life has been like and I don’t know what you want from me, but I do know that I can give you whatever it is you want and help you get through whatever shit you need to.” And yeah, maybe he couldn’t, because he couldn’t even get through his _own_ shit, but he could _(and would)_ sure as hell try.

“I….” Loki shook his head and began again. “You don’t understand what it is-”

“Make me understand.”

And for the next hour, that’s exactly what Loki did.   
He explained everything. He laid out his life story and Tony listened, taking it all in and storing it away in his mind, keeping it somewhere even he couldn’t find.   
And when the god got teary eyed and his voice trembled and his hands shook, Tony took them in his own and reminded him that he was not alone and he wouldn’t be.   
When the tears spilled, Tony held the sobbing god to his chest, stroking his fingers through his hair as Loki cried like he hadn’t ever done it before; maybe he hadn’t.   
And when they were all finished, Tony started talking without fully realizing it, giving Loki the gift the god had just given him; his past. He told him of Howard and Maria’s neglecting tendencies and their death. He told him of MIT and Afghanistan and Obi’s betrayal and the birth of Ironman and death of the old Tony Stark.   
He didn’t cry.   
But Loki still held him, as if he were a drowning man and that Tony was his only anchor and maybe Tony felt the same about him.   
Because what they had between them was no longer mistrust and careful movements and hesitant kisses placed gently on shaking fingers.   
It was understanding.   
So they held each other and didn’t let go.   
Their lives were now laid out for each other, their weaknesses exposed, and yeah, that might make it more than just understanding; maybe it was trust.   
Tony knew it wasn’t a good idea to trust the God of Lies, but at the same time it was the best one he’d ever had.   
In the silence that followed, Tony stared down into Loki’s lovely green eyes and saw all the pent up emotion; the pain, the anger, the hope….everything that he’d ever tried to hide. It was heartbreaking; Tony could see the pain of a thousand men; the anger of an abandoned son; the hope of a lost child….and that was the breaking point for Tony.   
He cupped the gods jaw, and Loki’s own hand came up, gently stroking through Tony’s hair. And perhaps he did flinch back, but at the same time he relished in the fact that he could be touched like he was loved; like he was not some broken in animal, like he was the most beautiful thing in the world.

“Why do you look at me like that?” Tony whispered, not daring to raise his voice any louder in fear of ruining this….whatever _this_ was.

“Like what?” Loki asked, his voice no louder than Tony’s.

“Like I’m the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen….”

“You are.”   
And yes, perhaps that did send a shock through Tony’s system, but it also sent a warm feeling throughout his body and his heart beating wildly.

“Why?” His voice was quieter this time; barely a whisper. “What do you see?” And there it was again; hope.

“I see a broken man, shattered and forged together with glass and iron and the light of the stars.” Loki’s fingers moved to gently trace around the arc reactor. “I see a man with strength enough to show a two thousand year old god that he is loved and can be loved in return. You gave me your trust where I did not deserve it; your past where I did not ask for it. You, Anthony, have showed me something I had not thought possible; there is hope, even for those who do not deserve it.”   
And Loki kissed him then, soft and sweet and oh so perfect, and Tony knew that this was not just for him; this was for the both of them.   
And yes, he had completely fallen for the God of Mischief and Chaos, and perhaps that made it just a little bit sweeter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, they have a talk :)  
> And it seems Tony and Loki might be rushing in a bit too fast but hey, chaotic god, mad inventor; it works


	8. What Is Love?

Okay, so maybe they were moving a bit too fast.   
Maybe meaning definitely.   
And a bit meaning a lot.   
The L word had already been involved, even if it wasn’t directly said.   
But Tony wasn’t even sure what love was anymore so he wasn’t sure if he did or didn’t love the god and that was a little worrying.   
At the same time, though, he was feeling something he hadn’t felt with Alex; that warmth in his chest whenever Loki smiled at him, or the worry when Loki frowned, or the rush of _something_ whenever Loki looked at him with those _lovely_ green eyes.   
Or maybe it was all a trick; maybe Loki was simply showing him how a lover should be treated….how _he_ should be treated.   
And maybe Tony was okay with that, but maybe he wasn’t because he didn’t want to be the god’s project, his ‘Good Deed of the Year’.   
And wow maybe he was over thinking this.   
So he shut off his brain _(hell if he knew if that was even possible)_ , closed his eyes, and cuddled closer to Loki’s side, drawing the blankets tighter around him, taking in their warmth, a direct contrast to the natural cool of Loki’s skin.   
He really should ask Loki why he was so cold, but Tony was so comfortable and he fit so wonderfully tucked into Loki’s side.   
Of course, he was Tony Stark and good things never lasted, no matter how much he hoped they would.   
This time was no different.   
One moment, Loki and Tony were alone, and the next there was a clap of thunder, a flash of lightening and then a certain blond haired god was standing on Tony’s balcony.

“Oh, Norn’s….” Loki mumbled, but didn’t disappear like he usually would in a bad _(was it bad?)_ situation.

“Point Break!” Tony greeted cheerily _(though he was already planning Thor’s murder)_ as he crawled out of bed so Thor didn’t tower quite so high above him.

“My friend! My brother has gone missing…..” Thor’s booming voice trailed off as he caught sight of Loki, now perched delicately on the edge of the bed with a look of boredom on his face, as if he had not just been snuggling with Tony like a god damn giant teddy bear.

“Thor, you mustn’t come barging in, in the middle of the night no less. It’s quite unbecoming,” Loki said, voice just short of a sneer. Thor’s baby blues sought out Tony’s, latching onto them.

“Friend Stark, why is my brother here? Has he done you harm?” Thor asked, brow furrowing in obvious confusion.

“I’m fine, Point Break. Rudolph here helped me with a few problems, I helped him with a few, were all good. So you can just beam on outta here….”

“I must take him back to Asgard! Father is _most_ displeased!” Thor protested, quite loudly, though Tony was fairly certain he was incapable of speaking any quieter.

“I am not going back to that wretched place, _brother_ ,” Loki hissed, standing now, fists clenched at his sides; Tony didn’t miss the trembling he tried to hide, and couldn’t help but wonder what the _hell_ had happened to make Loki react like that.

“Ooookaaay….” Tony drew out the word, drawing both the not-brothers’ attention back to him. “Here’s how it’s gonna go. You, big fella,” he pointed at Thor. “Are gonna go on home and tell daddy that Loki is staying right where he is. And you,” he looked at Loki. “Will behave, maybe get time out for good behavior.” He moved his eyes back to Thor. “How’s that sound?”

“My friend, Loki must come back. He must finish his sentence and face Asgardian justice.” There was a determined tone to Thor’s voice, but something else hidden there, something that sounded almost like…relief? For what, that Tony was keeping his brother right where he was?

“I think daddy and I have _very_ different views of what ‘justice’ is,” Tony said slowly, making sure Thor got this. “And I think you know what I’m talking about.”   
Thor looked grief stricken for all of two seconds before closing off, just as Loki had.

“But….” The thunder god began.

_Alright. Plan B._

“Buddy, I’m not gonna sugar coat this for you. Daddy wants peace between the realms, yes? If he- or you, or anyone- tries to take Loki away from me, I will make sure to cut off all ties between earth and any other realm out there, including Asgard. You know just as well as I that I have more than enough power to do so, and I _will not hesitate to use it_. I ask you, then, if you are willing to wage war where it does not need to be waged?”  
The empty look on Thor’s face morphed into one of grim satisfaction.

“You would do this for one man?”

“Oh yeah,” Tony said with a sweet smile. “This and a whole helluva lot more.”   
And then Thor looked god damn _thrilled_ , a wide grin splitting his face.

“Thank you, friend Stark, for taking the task of protecting my brother.” And then the god was pulling Tony into a crushing hug and he was fairly certain every single one of his ribs was shattered but Thor just looked so happy that Tony couldn’t find it in himself to tell the god he couldn’t breathe.   
When he was finally released, he said with a fleeting glance at Loki,

“I think, Point Break, we’re protecting each other.”   
And somehow, Thor’s smile widened even further, even as he nodded.

“I will speak to father. I am unsure as to what he will say, but I will try my best to let him remain in your home.”   
With that, the thunder god was strolling out the door, back into the thunder and lightning.   
Tony watched until Thor was gone, and then turned his attention back to Loki, who was standing stiffly behind him, glaring at the spot Thor had just been.   
Tony walked over and tentatively reached for his hand, but Loki jerked it away, glowering at Tony.

“I am not some damsel in distress. I do not need you to ‘protect’ me.” Loki was seething now; apparently this, whatever _this_ was, was not a good topic for the god.   
“As I seem to recall, it was _you_ who was in distress when I came,” he grumbled, voice morphing into a hiss. “Mortal….I need not be protected by someone who cannot protect himself.”   
And okay, that was harsh, and stung more than a little bit.

“Okay, that’s not fair-”

“I am not _here_ to be fair, Stark! I am not here to be your little pet project; ‘Fix the Broken God’! I do not _need_ your protection, nor do I want it! Do not treat me as if I need you!”   
And wow that stung because god _dammit_ he _knew_ he’d been played.

“Loki-” he tried.

“Stop!” Loki screamed, his fists clenching into white knuckled grips. “Stop acting as if you care!”   
Tony flinched back at the harsh yell and clenched fists, preparing to get hit, his heart pounding almost painfully in his chest.   
He didn’t realize he’d closed his eyes until he felt the soft hand coming to rest against his cheek but didn’t see it coming.   
When he opened his eyes once more, Loki was gazing at him with a sad, guilty expression.

“Anthony, I’m sorry…” the god trailed off slowly.

“Don’t,” Tony whispered, fighting the urge to step back and instead winding his arms around the god’s waist, burying his face in his chest. “I…it was my fault. I should’ve made him leave.”

“No, no. Don’t make this your fault. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. It is my fault and mine alone.”   
And Loki just held him, as he held Loki, both of them anchoring the other when they felt as if they were going into free fall with nothing to catch them.  
And yes, Tony realized, maybe this was what love felt like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, I did use this from my fic Falling, though since I'm not continuing that one, I figured it'd be okay.  
> Poor Loki, never thinking he deserves to be cared for...


	9. Team? No. Rivals? Maybe...

When the rest of the Avengers found out that Loki was staying in the tower, and had been for a few days, it was….significantly worse than Tony thought it would be.   
Bruce went mean and green and had to go to his Hulk-proof room; Nat went very still, which was infinitely more dangerous than if she had been reaching for her weapons; Steve immediately started yelling at Tony and Clint tried to kill the god.   
Before Tony could get a word out, Clint had turned his wrath on Tony, who was putting himself between him and Loki, and Tony ended up with a broken nose while Nat somehow managed to get cuffs around Loki’s wrists, though they were more or less pointless because the god snapped them clean in half no more than five seconds later.   
And then Clint was screaming at anyone who would listen _(mostly Tony)_ and holy fuck, the Other Guy was easier to calm down than this.   
In the end, it had taken a free punch to Loki’s face _(that did nothing because Loki was a god and Clint was not)_ , a slap from Nat _(because when you were super secret spy dating you slapped each other to show you cared)_ and a banana _(because Clint loved those fucking things more than life itself).  
_ But the chaos did not end there; oh no. Everyone began trying to talk over one another, trying to decide Loki and Tony’s fates as if they weren’t in the room listening to them talking about whether they should be tortured _(that was Clint)_ or killed _(Nat)_ or Hulk smashed _(also Clint)_ or whether they should just talk out their feelings and write ‘I will stop being stupid’ a billion times over _(not Cap’s exact wording, but close enough)_.   
He and Loki were standing close together, watching the scene unfold; Loki with an air of perfected boredom, Tony wanting to strangle every last one of ‘em.   
And Tony was god damn tired of listening to the bunch _(who he swore didn’t have an IQ over 10)_ and was ready to make them feel even more stupid than they were acting.

“What color are Loki’s eyes?” Tony asked, and the question sounded stupid enough that it drew the attention of everyone in the room, aside from Loki, who was now gazing at his fingernails disinterestedly.   
It was Steve who answered.

“They’re green. I don’t understand what this has to do with-”

Tony didn’t let him finish. “What color were they during the invasion?”

“Because we were all looking at his dreamy eyes during the invasion-” Clint began, steel in his voice, but Nat talked over him.

“Blue. They were blue.”

“Mm, yes, and what color blue?”   
He saw the exact moment realization dawned on each of their faces.

“The same color as Clint’s,” Nat answered. “You’re saying he was also mind controlled?”

“Take a guess,” Tony drawled in his best ‘I’m a genius, I’m always right’ voice.  
Turns out, that wasn’t the smartest approach because he was soon being yelled at for not telling them sooner, which would’ve been the thing a proper genius would do.

In the end, everyone left. Clint and Nat went off to live back in SHIELD HQ, Bruce went to India again _(and that was the first time Tony had ever had someone move to an entirely different country to get away from him)_ and Steve moved back to the apartment he’d had before the invasion.  
Perhaps it hadn’t been the best idea to hide the psychotic Norse god where he could easily slit everyone’s throat.   
And while he was used to having people pissed off at him, it was the first time he’d pissed his teammates off enough that they couldn’t stand to be in the same building as him, let alone in the same room, and it was one of the rare times he actually cared that he pissed them off so that just made it ten times worse than it should’ve been, so Tony was totally justified when he drank a bottle and a half of scotch alone in his lab that night.   
By the time Loki figured something wasn’t quite right, Tony had already blown up one of his cars- accidentally, of course- and possibly broken his hand in an accident involving a hammer and an Ironman gauntlet, and couldn’t really see right but he didn’t care because hey, double Loki’s, double the gorgeous.   
The god, however, was not swayed by this and took the half empty bottle of scotch from Tony, scrunched his nose at the empty one at his feet, and promptly dumped the rest of the bottle down the drain, but oh well, he had more and this was the first time he’d been drunk in months- Alex had hated it- and it felt fan-fucking-tastic.

*

When Tony awoke, it was to a harsh throbbing in his temples and a disapproving yet worried green-eyed glare.

“We must speak of what occurred last night.” And wasn’t that the warm welcome Tony was expecting.

“I fucked up. And then I got drunk. What’s there to talk about?” And he promptly rolled over and buried his face back in his pillow. But then the pillow was taken and he turned and yelled at Loki because god dammit he had just fucked up _again_ and his head hurt and he was just so tired of being a screw up and he wanted nothing more than to _sleep_ because he was tired of it all.   
A blessedly cool hand came to rest on the back of his neck, moving to card softly through his hair and wow, Tony had been expecting an ass whooping and not that, but hey, that works too.

“Is that what this is about?” Loki asked, and his voice was so soft, as if he hadn’t just stolen Tony’s pillow and okay, maybe Tony sounded like a petulant five year old but shit, he really liked that pillow.

“Is _what_ what this is about?” Tony grouched, not bothering to move his face from where it had smushed into the mattress.  

“You think you are a, as you so eloquently put it, ‘fuck up’?”

“What, don’t you?” Tony asked, genuinely confused because Alex had told him that all the time, and really, when someone you love _(or think you love)_ says something like that, it echoes.

“Anthony….” Loki sighed a deep, long sigh and nudged Tony until he sat upright, slumped back against the headboard. “No, I do not think you are. I think you have problems, like everyone, that need to be dealt with, but no, never a ‘fuck up’. Anthony, you are the most brilliant man I’ve ever known. You have made mistakes, but there is no one anywhere that can say they have not.”   
And somehow, that made Tony feel a little bit better.

*

‘Better’ soon became ‘shittier’ because Clint decided to tell Fury that a certain Norse deity had been staying in the tower for nearly a week.

“Sir,” Jarvis spoke up. “You have a call from Director Fury.”

Tony groaned. “Tell him to fuck off.”

“Why don’t you tell him yourself, Stark?” Fury’s voice said over the lines.

“It seems I just did. To what do I owe this terrible pleasure?” he asked, mock cheeriness in his voice.

“You’re hiding a Norse god in your tower,” Fury said flatly.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Tony replied, rolling his eyes at Loki, whose lips twitched in amusement.

“How ‘bout that were coming down there to take that mother fucker into custody, where he belongs?”

“I said something I didn’t know. But since you can’t seem to grasp the concept, I’ll tell _you_ something _you_ don’t know.” He laid down on his back and stared up at the ceiling, hands pillowing his head. “You will not come here, and you will not touch him. What you _will_ do is tell those guard dog’s of yours to stand down, because my front door is gonna be a helluva lot harder to knock down than you think. And then there’s the added plus that I can and will have Pepper sue you for everything you’ve got, down to that eye patch of yours.”

“Stark-”

“See, here’s the thing, Director. I have this problem. I get _really_ possessive. That means I hate when people touch my stuff, especially people with more blood on their hands than me. So, Director, I will give you a formal warning; fuck off and don’t touch my stuff, otherwise I will make your life a living hell. You don’t know what I can do, so I will tell you.”

“God dammit, Stark-”

“Not only will Pepper sue you, I will put every little dirty secret SHIELD has on god damn Google. I will leak it to the press. There will be nowhere you can hide no matter how fast you try to outrun me. You think I don’t know about Hydra? That’s only the beginning, Director. I know _so much more_. As such, you will be completely, irreparably screwed. There will be no way for you to get your precious organization up and running ever again.”

“You think you can-”

“Furthermore,” he finished. “You can go fuck yourself.”   
And then there was only heavy breathing on the other line.

“Fuck you, Stark.”

“I must ask; do you now understand the term ‘tell me something I don’t know’?”   
The line went dead.   
And then Loki laughed, startled and loud and real.   
And that made Tony laugh, and they both laughed until tears were blurring their vision.   
Once they could finally breathe again, Loki smiled.

“Oh, you are _such_ a mischievous creature, Anthony.” Loki laughed again, leaning in to press a kiss to Tony’s lips as he continued carelessly, too caught in the moment to really censor his words.   
“And this is one reason among many that has brought me to love you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, you go tony. Stick it to the man


	10. The 'L' Word

Tony froze at the same time Loki did; the god just seemed to realize his mistake _(thought it wasn’t really a mistake; more of a slip up)_.   
As for Tony…well, he just realized perhaps it wasn’t too soon to use the L word because he may or may not have thought about it and Loki in the same sentence a couple of times _(seventeen, to be exact)_ but he’d never been able to come up with a solution that didn’t end in wild sex or yelling, so he just kinda gave up on that one.

“You….” Tony gaped at him. “What….?”

“I- I didn’t mean….of course I do not….you do not have to….do not feel obligated….” Loki was stumbling over his words; it seemed even his silver tongue failed him sometimes.

“Did you… _do_ you….do you actually mean that? I mean…could you….would you even want to…” _Love me?_ And though Tony couldn’t get the words out properly, Loki seemed to understand what he was trying to say.   
The god took a deep breath, quiet for a moment as he thought, most likely trying to figure out how to properly word what he was going to say.

“I have thought about this many times, Anthony, over the course of my stay. I….did not believe it was love, at first, that was driving me towards you. I thought, perhaps, it was your….usefulness. The more I thought about it, the more I realized this was not at all correct. True, you are useful to me, but that is not what drove me to stay. You are a…wondrous creature, Anthony. You turned your back to those closest to you in favor of helping me, the one who destroyed your city and gave you your wretched nightmares. You have a brilliant mind, and a tongue sharp enough to rival my own. I thought, though now it seems foolish, that you were letting me stay only because you felt indebted to me. I realize now that you have a mind capable of many things; forgiveness being one of them.” Loki shook his head, took in a deep breath, and continued.   
“Why have you allowed me to stay? After all I’ve done? Why give me a chance?”   
The answer came easily. He didn’t even have to think about what he was going to say. It just sort of….happened.

“Everyone deserves a second chance, Lo.”  
Oh, he’d found a nickname. He really liked that.

“I’ve had plenty more than two,” Loki sounded so sad, so resigned when he said it. It made Tony’s chest ache.

“Then everyone deserves another.”   
And some part of Tony thought; _maybe even me_.

And then Loki was practically diving at him, hugging him close and kissing him as if he would disappear.   
They decided the best place to go would be Tony’s bedroom.   
They took it slow at first; passionate, though clothes were discarded as soon as the door was closed; they’d wanted as much skin contact as possible.   
Loki let Tony take control and that was exactly what Tony needed.   
He laid the god down on his stomach and moved to straddle his hips, leaning down and pressing gentle kisses along his spine, staring at the base of his skull and ending at his tailbone, his fingers trailing endlessly along the god’s exposed body.   
He moved his lips back up and pressed a kiss between Loki’s shoulder blades, moving higher still and brushing his hair away from his neck, nibbling softly at the sensitive spot just behind his ear.   
Loki sucked in a sharp breath when Tony moved to his pulse point, tilting the god’s head to the side so he could reach, sucking a love bite there and lavishing his tongue over it, reveling in the thrum of his pulse against his tongue.   
Without warning, Loki flipped them over in one smooth movement, so Tony was lying on his back and Loki was now the one straddling his hips. His dark eyes raked over Tony hungrily, taking in the sight of him exposed beneath him.    
Tony couldn’t find it in himself to protest the change.   
When Loki’s lips latched onto his neck, he took in a gasping breath, tilting his head back, his legs coming up to wrap around Loki’s hips.   
No, no, this was about letting the god know he loved him.   
So he moved them again, so he was once more on top, Loki on his back in the same position Tony had been in only moments before.   
He ran his fingers along Loki’s body, tweaking his nipples as his hands passed over his chest, while Tony’s lips captured Loki’s in a burst of delicious passion.   
Their tongues entwined at the same moment their fingers did.

“Yes,” Loki whispered against Tony’s lips, and Tony couldn’t form a sentence coherent enough to ask because Loki’s free hand had moved _down_ and that was really the last thing he was able to think before he was no longer in charge, and Loki prepared him and fucked him into oblivion.

*

Afterwards, Tony and Loki cuddled with each other, keeping as much skin contact as possible.   
They’d cleaned themselves up, and were now half asleep in Tony’s bed.   
Tony’s head was on Loki’s chest, and his arms were around Loki’s waist, the god’s arms encircling Tony’s shoulders, their legs tangled together.   
As he listened to the steady beat of Loki’s heartbeat, three things occurred to him.   
One; he loved Loki.   
Two; what Loki had been saying yes to.   
Three; during their lovemaking, Tony hadn’t flinched a single time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's so short. The next one will be longer, i promise!


	11. Rescue Mission

As it turned out, Hel wasn’t that hard to rescue, given she didn’t really need rescuing, as she had her own realm and could leave at any time she pleased.   
Neither was Jormungandr; the issue there was getting him to actually come to them so Loki could magic him human.   
Both Hela and Jor were currently in Tony’s penthouse- the rest of the team had yet to come back _(if they even would)_ so they had the entire tower to themselves- while Tony and Loki were down in his lab, devising a plan on how to get Fenrir back.   
It wasn’t the best plan; if one were to look closely, it would be a downright stupid and perhaps careless plan, but the end was what would justify the means and that was all that mattered.    
Okay, perhaps that wasn’t _all_ that mattered. It was also important for them to actually get Fen back with Hela and Jor _(yes, Tony had already given them nicknames…shut up)_ and that, in turn, would get them back into Loki’s care if they chose to stay.

“This is a bad idea,” Loki said, as if he were simply stating the weather.

“You love bad ideas,” Tony pointed out just as casually.

“You’re mad,” Loki replied, leaning closer to the inventor.

“So are you.” And then their lips touched in a brief but wandering kiss that left Tony breathless and aching for more and the damn smug look on the god’s face told him he knew it, too.

 “Shall we go?” Loki proffered his arm, a cheeky grin on his lovely face. Tony rolled his eyes and linked his arm through Loki’s, a grin of his own pulling at his lips.

“We shall.”

*

Teleportation was now on two of Tony’s lists _(he had a lot of lists)_. One of them being ‘Shit to Never Do Again’ and ‘Shit to Learn How to Do’.   
On one hand, he didn’t like the feeling of being disassembled and reassembled across the stretch of time and space itself.   
On the other, everything would be so much easier if he could just _think_ about a place and be there.   
At the moment, he was more focused on the way his stomach was trying to crawl up his throat and his eyes were trying their damndest to convince him there were two of everything _(although Tony’s brain might be believing it…just a little bit)_.  
He saw more than felt Loki’s hand come to rest on his armor encased shoulder, steadying him, an amused chuckle breaking his otherwise tense features.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Rudolph. Won’t be laughing when I puke all over your custom leather boots,” Tony mumbled, and the god in question let out a gasp of mock outrage.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Loki said, but there was still a smirk in his voice.

“Baby, I’d dare do that and a whole helluva lot more,” Tony said once the dizziness and nausea faded, offering a cheeky grin. Loki huffed, but the amusement quickly fell away, morphing into heavy determination.

“You’ll be careful, yes?” Loki asked. “A stunt like this could land you in prison.” Worry coated the god’s voice, a frown dipping his elegant brows.

Tony nodded. “Of course I will. Careful is my middle name.” He flashed a reckless grin.

“No, I believe that would be ‘Chaotic’,” Loki supplied dryly. It was Tony’s turn to huff. “Honestly, Anthony. Stay safe.”

“I solemnly swear to not die,” Tony said gravely, puffing out his chest and saluting with the hand that wasn’t holding the helmet. 

Loki seemed to accept this and nodded. “Once you step away from me, you will no longer be shielded by my spell. Do be careful. It is not every day the infamous Ironman is seen flying through the skies of Asgard.”   
Tony nodded, and pressed a kiss to Loki’s lips.

“Seeya on the other side, babe.” He took off into the air, headed towards the palace.   
It was hard to miss; it was large and golden and grand and damn, Tony wanted one.   
He couldn’t find it in himself to care that he was being watched by shocked Asgardian’s below; in fact, he found it quite amusing when someone tried to shoot him with….was that a wooden bow and arrow?   
Damn, leather and wooden weapons and castles.   
This was a grander version of the time of the Vikings.   
Space Vikings seemed as good a name as any.   
Said Space Vikings didn’t look very pleased when Tony sped through an open window and landed in the middle of their meeting with the Space Viking King, splintering the ground beneath the weight of the suit.   
He had to resist saying loudly “hello friends; I am here”; he was fairly certain no one would appreciate it.

“Man of Iron,” the King said, sitting all high and mighty on his golden _(seriously, what the fuck was up with gold?)_ throne. “I did not expect to see you here.” And maybe he sounded a little annoyed, but hey, Tony was used to it.   
He stared at the King for a moment, taking him in; Odin, he decided, was like a grander and whiter Fury.   
“My son has told me of your heroics on Midgard. I thank you for that.” Odin finished, gazing at him calmly, while the other members- only two; one being a beautiful woman who wore her age wonderfully who Tony assumed was the Queen, and a tall black man with unnervingly golden eyes and a wonderful helmet _(because apparently everyone had a helmet here)_ and even more golden armor and he was maybe a bit _(a lot)_ intimidating.

“Which one?” Tony asked, his helmet retracting into the suit.

Odin frowned in confusion. “Excuse me?”

“Which son?”   
That frown melted into a glare.

“Thor _did_ tell you Loki escaped, did he not?” the King asked, while the Queen- Frigga, if Tony remembered correctly- gazed at him with cool, calm eyes.

“He did. Which then begs the question of _how?_ How is it you managed to let the biggest war criminal my world has ever seen _slip_ _right through your fingers?_ ” Tony asked, tilting his head to the sound, sounding as unimpressed as Odin looked.

“I believe,” Odin stated slowly after a stare off between himself and Tony, his eyes never leaving Tony’s and in turn, Tony’s never left his. “This conversation should be held privately.” The golden guy nodded and strode out, footsteps silent despite the heavy boots.

“I am staying,” Frigga said, an elegant brow arched at her husband, a clear challenge. Suddenly Tony knew where Loki got his mannerisms from. Oh, he and Queen Frigga should get along just fine.

“Of course, my Queen,” Odin said calmly, though his eyes were a hailstorm of anger, though Tony was fairly certain it wasn’t towards Frigga, but towards him; Tony could practically hear what he was thinking, most likely something along the lines of “how dare this lowly mortal question me and mine”.   
“Let me begin by saying he did not ‘slip through’ anything. If you know as much as you pretend to, you would know he is manipulative and powerful. I need not let him do anything for him to do it.”

“Ah, but see, you _know_ how manipulative and powerful he is, which means you would surely be prepared…” He tilted his head to the side. “Wouldn’t you?”

“I-”

“Was not as prepared as he ought to be,” Frigga cut in, but she had a mischievous look in her eyes that reminded Tony so much of Loki, it was clear where he’d gotten that side of himself from. “But I’m sure he is safe, wherever he is. He is nothing if not resourceful.” She was so soft spoken; it was hard to imagine she could ever marry someone like Odin, who was distinctly _not_ soft spoken. But, he supposed, they balanced each other out.

“As I was saying,” Odin said, clearly annoyed but also eyeing his wife with adoration, before that eye moved to Tony and adoration morphed into hatred. “He would have gotten out of whatever we had put him in, no matter the cost to himself or others.”   
_Ah, strike one, daddy-o._

Tony nodded. “And you can’t prepare for something that can’t be prepared for.”

“He is a force not to be reckoned with. He belongs back in his cell. He doesn’t deserve to be roaming round the streets. He is an animal which must be caged.”   
_Strike two._

“My King,” Frigga cut in, a glare set on her husband. “You may be upset, but he is no animal; he is our son. Treat him as such.”

“He is no….” Odin sighed. “He must be locked away before he causes anymore unruly damage.”

“And this is your final say?” Tony asked, head tilted to the side.

“It is.”

Tony nodded. “What if I were to say I know where Loki is?”   
Odin’s eye widened and he stood, his scepter _(what the fuck was up with those?)_ held in a white knuckled grip.

“I would demand you tell me of his whereabouts,” Odin stated, descending the stairs.

“And if I said no?”

“You cannot.”

_Strike three._

“Oh, I can, I will and I am. There is nothing you can say to me, nothing you can do, that will make me tell you anything. In case you hadn’t noticed- which, presuming you believe the words you speak, you have- he is a force not to be reckoned with. He gave me his trust; I intend to give him a reason to let me keep it. See, here’s the thing, All-Daddy; he is everywhere. There’s nowhere you can go that he hasn’t already been twice over. He is not some animal you can lock away and hope he stays. He is a hurricane, while all of us are nothing more than bathwater. You can do what you will, but there’s no way you will end up with him where you want him because _you are always where he wants you_. You can try to find him, but you will only lose yourself in the process.” Tony stepped closer. “And if you think, even for one second, that you’ve caught up? He will be behind you. You will never be able to find him, and if, in even the slightest chance you do? You won’t be able to keep him.”   
He fired up the repulsors and stepped back, the helmet snapping into place over his head.   
“You, buddy,” Tony finished. “Have already lost.”   
A guard burst in then, his eyes wide.

“You Majesty!” he cried, distress obvious in his tone. “It is Fenrir. He has been stolen!”

“Well, I believe that’s my cue!” Tony smirked. “Pleasure doing business with you!” he called, before taking off through the now open doors, landing back on the bifrost with Loki and a boy with shaggy black hair and piercing green eyes. Loki didn’t waste a minute before teleporting them out of Asgard, back into the Tower and shielding them from Heimdal’s view.   
Back in Asgard, there were no traces Fenrir was ever there, aside from the words sparking in twisting green flame; _If they are taken from me again, my wrath will bring down the whole of Asgard, and the Man of Iron’s words will erase all traces I was ever there._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else notice they haven't even said 'I love you' yet? Loki's said 'this is why i love you' or something to that effect, but they haven't flat out said it to each other....  
> I'm posting two chapters ahead of time because I won't be here next week to post them.   
> I told you this one would be longer!


	12. Meet the Kids....and Maybe Get Hitched

Tony thought it highly amusing when the nineteen year old Fenrir consumed an entire pizza by himself, and then half of another.   
He did not find the obvious signs of starvation highly amusing, however, and they just stood to make Tony hate Odin even more than he already did, which he didn’t actually think was possible.   
Hela and Jor were currently working on another pizza, and Loki and Tony another.   
The Avengers refused to come back, saying something about choosing the enemy over them, blah blah blah, some shit like that. They would’ve understood if they’d stayed long enough to hear his reasoning, which they did not, so really, it was their own fault.   
As Fen launched into his story of what had happened while Loki had been imprisoned for trying to rescue his kids, Tony stood, feeling the conversation had taken a rather intimate turn and he shouldn’t be there for it, and made his way over to the mini bar, grabbing himself a glass and a bottle of scotch.   
He stepped outside after that, settling down on the balcony with his legs swinging over the side, his eyes moving from the New York skyline to the stars winking at him from above.   
Looking between the glass and the bottle, he decided to forgo the glass and took a long drink from the bottle, relishing in the slight burn as it went down.   
Cool arms settled over his shoulders then, looping loosely around his chest.   
Tony tipped his head back to see the God of Mischief sitting behind him, his legs spread around Tony, booted feet dangling over the edge of the tower. Tony leaned comfortably back against Loki’s chest, his eyes momentarily sliding to the kids and…Loki? Ah, right. Fuckin’ magic. They were still talking; something had tears in the other Loki’s eyes and Fen’s hands trembling, Hela tucked into her big brother’s side as an offer of comfort and Jor’s hand resting on his brother’s shoulder.

“Why are you out here, all by yourself?” Loki murmured, cool breath ghosting across Tony’s cheek.

“It all got so…serious. Intimate. I figured you didn’t want me around for that,” Tony replied with a shrug.

“Of course I want you around for that. You deserve to know just as much as I; after all, you did help me get them back,” the god pointed out, pressing a kiss to the side of Tony’s neck.

“But,” Tony protested. “That’s a family thing. I’m not part of your family.”

“Mm,” Loki hummed thoughtfully. “Would you like to be?”

Tony froze momentarily. “If you’re asking what I think you’re asking….Loki, it’s been three weeks. Three weeks since you got rid of Alex; only two weeks since we had sex for the first time, and barely even an hour since we got your kids back,” he said slowly.

“Yes, Anthony; three weeks in which you’ve escaped an abusive relationship; two weeks since you’ve made love to a god; and an hour after you’ve helped rescue my children.” Loki replied, nudging Tony until he turned around to face him, his legs tucked beneath him, his back to the city, the god’s arms still wrapped around his waist.   
“Anthony, you have completely and utterly bewitched me. In this short amount of time we’ve been together, you’ve gotten me my children back, something even _I_ couldn’t manage alone. You’ve gotten me to share even my darkest secrets and in turn shared yours with me. You’ve given me more in three weeks than I’ve ever gotten before.”   
Loki stood then, tugging Tony to his feet before the god went down on one knee.   
“Anthony Edward Stark; we haven’t known each other for long, I’ll give you that. But in this short time, I have fallen for you, my love, in every way, no matter how cliché that sounds. I want all of you; your mind, body, soul and heart. You, Anthony, are incredible. I am lucky to have found someone who can match me in wit and charm; someone with a tongue as sharp as mine, possibly even more so. I want you to be mine, and in turn I will be yours. Give me that, and I will be the happiest god in the universe. I ask you now, Anthony; will you take my hand in marriage?”   
Loki held up a small velvet box with two identical silver rings with intricate designs engraved into them. Tony gaped down at him, his mouth slightly hanging open, eyes wide, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest.   
“You do not have to make a decision now; as decisions go, it is quite a big one,” Loki said, managing to sound only mildly put out.

“No! I mean yes! Yes, I want to marry you!” Tony stumbled over his words.   
Loki’s smile seemed bright enough to light the world.   
Loki held up the two rings; in the light coming from the windows, Tony saw words engraved elegantly into the insides of the rings: _‘This is how’_ one read, and the other ‘ _a lover should be treated’_.   
Tony let out a choked laugh as Loki slid the second onto his finger, the other going onto the god’s.   
“Fuck, you’re incredible!” Tony cried, throwing his arms around the god’s neck. Loki grinned and picked him up, spinning them around once before setting him down and kissing him full on the mouth.   
Tony grinned and kissed Loki back, taking in the clash of hot and cold.

“I believe we have an audience, darling,” Loki murmured into his lips.   
Sure enough, all three kids had their faces pressed against the glass, smiles breaking their features, a wicked grin in each of their eyes, too much like their fathers to be safe.   
The clone of Loki was no longer inside, having disappeared sometime between the proposal and the frantic kissing.

“Good,” Tony said with a sweet smile before kissing Loki again, pushing all the passion he could into that single kiss, biting at Loki’s bottom lip, twining his tongue with the god’s.   
He was rewarded with a soft moan from the god and a slight bulge in the front of Loki’s lovely leather trousers.   
Tony chuckled to himself as Loki batted him away.

“I swear, Anthony; you will be the death of me.”  
Tony’s smile only grew.   
The kid’s at least had the decency to look away; Fen and Jor’s cheeks were tinged pink while Hela was just smiling softly at her brothers’.

“Now,” Tony murmured in Loki’s ear. “How ‘bout we go up to my room and you let me do some sinful things to your body?”   
He’d never been teleported to his bedroom so fast.

*

Leather, Tony decided, was not as attractive when he was trying to get it off; that damn stuff was _tight_. How the fuck did Loki even get it on?   
But Tony went with it, and after about ten minutes of struggling, both of them were fully naked.   
Tony brought his lips to Loki’s neck, trailing feather light kisses from his jaw to his collar bone, biting hard enough to bruise once he got to the bone. Loki hissed, arching into Tony.   
Tony smiled and let his hands wander over Loki’s sinfully beautiful body; the mad scientists fingers traced over every contour of muscle, every perfect curve of the god’s body as if he were mapping him out, memorizing him.   
He moved lower, still, pushing Loki’s legs apart and nipping at his thighs, completely bypassing the god’s flushed cock. Loki whined, his hips bucking up, trying to get friction where he had none.   
Tony crawled his way back up Loki’s body, running his fingers along the god’s sides.

“You’re so beautiful,” Tony murmured into the expanse of ivory skin, breath ghosting out across Loki’s sensitive neck.   
The god shivered, his legs winding around Tony’s waist, keeping him close.   
Tony nipped along the trickster’s neck, leaving little red marks in his wake, marking him, claiming him as his own.   
“You’re mine, Loki, and don’t you dare forget it,” he growled in the god’s ear, lapping his tongue over his earlobe.

“Yours,” Loki mumbled, eyes falling shut.

“Mm-mm,” Tony chastised lightly, pinching one of Loki’s nipples. A gasped breath was followed by Loki’s eyes flying open. “Eyes open, sweetheart. I wanna see those gorgeous greens as I make you scream my name.”   
He sucked his fingers into his mouth, coating them thoroughly before gently pushing a finger into Loki. Loki let out a harsh gasp, back arching as he tried to push himself down onto Tony’s finger. Tony clicked his tongue, but stayed silent as he added another, scissoring his fingers, preparing the god who was all too eagerly taking what Tony was giving.

“Enough,” Loki breathed. “Please. I-I need you…”   
That was all the encouragement it took for Tony to coat his cock with lube _(there was a reason for nightstand drawers, and it wasn’t for pens)_ , and slowly push into Loki.   
The god’s back arched beautifully, and good lord, no one was allowed to be that gorgeous. He pounded into Loki, and oh, how the god screamed.   
Thank god for sound proof walls.

*

An hour later, Loki and Tony were cuddled up on the bed, legs tangled, fingers twined, blankets pulled up to their waists.   
Loki was making shadow puppets in the light cast from Tony’s arc reactor, and Tony found it enticingly adorable; he’d just never pictured the god making animals with his fingers, not after the things those fingers had done to him _(wink wink nudge nudge)_.   
Jarvis had led the kids to their rooms, and then informed Tony and Loki that the kids had all decided to stay in one room so as to be closer together.   
Tony was half asleep, fingers drawing random patterns on Loki’s flat stomach, his mind pleasantly empty.   
It seemed like everything was going to be okay.   
Of course, that’s when everything went to hell.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! They're engaged!


	13. Assemble

It started with a call.   
Of course, said call happened to be from one of the one eyed assholes in the universe.

“What is it that makes a man call at nine in the morning, Director?” Tony snapped.  

“You know damn well what. It’s been two weeks, Stark. We’ve been easy on you, but if you’re not gonna give us Loki, then dammit we’ll take him!” Fury seethed.

“Fuck off, would you? I already fucking told you; no one touches my stuff. Not even you, Director. You know what will happen if you try, and it would be _damn_ amusing so here I am, formally inviting you to _try_.”   
Beside him, Loki chuckled, his long fingers twining with Tony’s.

“Believe me, Stark; I will do a helluva lot more than just _try_.” And the line went dead.   
Tony glared at the ceiling for a good thirteen seconds before rolling over, pressing a languid kiss to Loki’s lips. 

“Good morning to you too, my love,” Loki murmured against his lips.

“Sir?” Jarvis spoke up before Tony could answer.

“Jesus fuck, J, what?” he asked, rolling onto his back and shifting until he was comfortable, his head resting on the god’s stomach. Loki rolled his eyes but rested their clasped hands on Tony’s chest.

“Captain Rodger’s is on the line. Shall I patch him through?”

 _Shit._ “Yeah, Jarv. Gimme.” He made grabby hands at the ceiling with his free one.

“Tony, we need to talk.” Those words were never good. Especially when Cap didn’t greet him first with a cherry “Good morning, Tony!”

“Okaaaay….” He glanced at the clock. “C’mon down here in an hour, okay?”

“ _All of us_ , Tony,” Steve strained, and oh, that was _much_ worse than just Cap.

“Two hours?”

Cap sighed. “Two hours. Make sure you’ve had your coffee by then, please.” At least Steve was smart enough to know he wouldn’t be pleasant to be around if he hadn’t had his coffee by eleven.   
And then Captain Spangles hung up and Tony pouted for a good minute and a half before rolling off the god.

“Shower?” Tony asked, stumbling to his feet and pulling idly at the god’s hand.

“That sounds lovely,” Loki replied with a smirk.   
Needless to say, they did _much_ more than shower.

*

Loki and Tony both decided it would be best if the god and his children were not here when the rest of the team got here, for obvious reasons.   
So they left _(or more the kids hid on the very top floor while Loki turned himself invisible so he could listen in)_ , and Tony sat waiting in the penthouse, working on his third cup of coffee _(with maybe a little scotch in it)_ and waiting anxiously, his leg bouncing where he sat.

“Relax, darling,” Loki’s velvety voice said behind him, strong fingers massaging his tense shoulders.

“Easy for you to say,” Tony mumbled. “They can’t see you.”   
The elevator made a dinging sound as it opened, and in came the team.   
Tony sprung to his feet, nearly spilling his piping hot coffee down his front.   
“Guys,” he said, waving around the penthouse. “Sit. Coffee? Juice? Alcohol? Oh, that would be good; lots and lots of-”

“Tony,” Nat snapped. “Stop rambling.”   
He shut up immediately.   
“Sit.” She pointed to the chair he had vacated.   
He sat.   
As he did, so did everyone else, taking seats as far away from him as possible.

“Alright,” Cap said, gazing around at everyone, back ramrod straight, his hands folded neatly in his lap. “I think, before anything, we need to hear from Tony.”   
All eyes turned on him expectantly.   
This was one time where he wished he didn’t have everyone’s attention.

“Okay,” he began, and then dove into the story of what Alex had been doing to him, how Loki had swooped in and rescued him like some god damn knight in shining armor. He told them how Loki said the god wanted to show him how a lover should be treated and that he got rid of Alex with minimal injuries. He told them how he helped Loki get his kids back, and how thankful the god had been…he told them everything, straight down to when the god proposed.   
At this point, Nat nodded as if she’d known this, but though there were quiet gasps of surprise, no one interrupted him.   
“I think,” Tony finished. “I love him. But I’m not sure because I don’t think I’ve ever been in love before.”   
And then he fell silent.   
It was Nat who broke the silence.

“Well, Tony; I can’t say I agree with who you’ve fallen for, but we both know you can’t really choose. If he makes you happy, that’s fine, but you can’t expect us to forgive you after lying to all of us.”

“We’ve all made mistakes here, Nat.” He said quietly.

“But,” she continued. “I understand _why_ you lied. Judging by our reactions, it was…maybe a _good idea_ to lie. Bu we’re a team, Tony, so you have to make sure never to do it again.” And then she walked out, just like that.   
It was her shadow who spoke next.

“I think,” Clint said slowly. “I agree with ‘Tasha. I get why you did it, even if I don’t agree with who _it_ is. I will admit, I overreacted when I first found out; then again, mind control is not something I enjoyed, and believe me, there are _a lot_ of things I enjoy. I can’t forgive you that easily, no matter what I understand. It’ll take some time, but I think I can forgive you…. _both_ of you.” And perhaps that was more shocking a revelation than Nat’s. Clint followed her out, and Tony gaped after him.

“I can forgive you, easily,” Bruce said, and Tony turned his attention to the scientist. “I can’t forgive him, not yet, but I can forgive you. Just….don’t do it again, okay, Tony?” The scientist offered up a small smile and made his way out after the tag team.   
Finally, it was just Tony and Captain Spangles.

“I don’t think what you did was right,” Steve started, his voice low, eyes downcast. He raised them to Tony’s, and Tony almost flinched away from that disappointed look he was getting. Alex had given it to him a lot. “Then, I also don’t think what Alex did was right. Given, the chance, I think every single one of us would’ve done a lot more damage than Loki. Two broken arms is not nearly enough for what he did to you. But I will say that I think all of us are on your side for this. I speak for all of us when I say that, despite our disagreement on this issue, we will do everything we can to help you and Loki out. I…don’t know what the other’s will do, but if Fury or Odin or whoever tries to separate you….I’ll do what I can. I just think it’s gonna take some time. All of us are….you lied to us, Tony. And that’s not okay. But I understand why. We just need some time, Tony. That’s all.” Steve stood, nodding his head at Tony before he too left.   
Tony sank back into the chair, staring after Steve but not making any move to get up.   
When Jarvis announced that everyone had left, Tony felt cool arms drape around his shoulders, Loki’s chin coming to rest on top of Tony’s head.

“I suppose,” Loki murmured. “That could’ve gone much worse.”   
The kids soon joined them, sitting across from the couple on the couch.

“Do I need to give you the ‘if you hurt him, you’re dead’ talk?” Fen asked, head tilted to the side.

“We already gave it to father,” Jor supplied.

“I can assure you, as I did him, you will not have a pleasant time in my realm,” Hela said, clasping her blue hand with her normal one.

“I don’t plan on hurting him, don’t worry,” Tony said, scrubbing a hand across his face.

“Fantastic. Then Jormungandr and Fenrir would like to visit my realm, if that’s alright,” Hela said with a smile.

“Of course, dear,” Loki answered, coming around and kissing his daughter on the crown of her head.   
He pulled Jor and Fen into a hug before releasing them and waving a hand; the three disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.

*

An hour and a half later, and things had only gotten worse.   
Not only had SHIELD attacked, but Odin and his own army of Asgardian’s did too.   
Even worse, Tony’s suit was already running low, his uni-beam and flight capabilities no longer working _(Jarvis had shut them down to save power)_ , and Loki’s magic reserves were the only thing keeping them more or less protected. Tony was convinced Fury and Odin had somehow collaborated, decided they both wanted the same thing and _then_ decided to team up.   
Tony was suddenly knocked to the ground from behind, an Asgardian standing behind him, sword raised and readying to stab him. Loki, busy with four other Asgardian’s and two SHIELD agents, didn’t see.   
Tony, prepared for imminent death with the knowledge he could do _nothing_ , silently apologized to his lover, squeezing his eyes shut.   
Soon, the screech of something sliding into metal followed, loud in his ears.   
Tony opened his eyes as the Asgardian fell to the side, an arrow sticking out from his back, embedded in metal armor and deep into his back, having severed his spinal cord.   
Tony gaped around and spotted him perched on a building across from the tower, bow raised.   
Clint shot off another arrow, which found home in a SHIELD agent’s leg.   
Cap’s shield shot out of nowhere, taking down two Asgardians’ going for Loki, while Nat broke an Asgardian’s neck with her thighs and shot a SHIELD agent between the eyes at the same time.   
The Hulk roared loudly as it smashed a SHIELD agent and an Asgardian together before throwing them across the room into their buddies.   
Thunder boomed loudly as lightning shot through the ceiling, taking out seven Asgardians’ and powering up Tony’s suit to 400% capacity.   
Tony laughed then, loud and long, bordering on hysterical, as Cap shouted,

“Avengers assemble!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favorite chapters....and the team is back together! YAY!


	14. Captured

In the end, even their best efforts weren’t enough. Tony was taken into custody by Fury, as were the rest of the Avengers, and Thor and Loki were taken back to Asgard, and wow, Tony was not okay with that.   
As it was, he paced back and forth inside the ridiculously small cell they’d put him in, the shocking anklet they’d put on him while he’d been unconscious giving out a brutal shockwave that lasted thirty seconds every half hour, rendering him unable to do anything, let alone find a way to escape. The effects from it lasted about twenty minutes, and it fucking hurt. Luckily, it wasn’t messing with the arc reactor.   
On the plus side, he had a plan. It was a plan he’d been working on since the attack on New York; no one knew about it.   
He’d been stuck here for four and a half hours now, unable to get out.   
The only reason he waited was because he needed to make sure Fury would let his guard down.   
As soon as the tenth shock ran through his body, his muscles clamped, tensing, and a choked cry escaped as agony coursed through his body.   
He collapsed onto the ground, tasting blood from where he’d bitten his tongue, and smiled a bloody smile at the security camera.

“Fuck you, Fury,” he ground out, even as he weakly slapped at his arms and closed his eyes, focusing.   
It took two minutes for the suit to fly to him, attaching to his limbs.   
Thirty seconds later, he heard shouts and the locks being rattled.   
Fifteen seconds later, he’d shot through seventeen SHIELD agents.   
Ten minutes later, he’d freed the rest of the Avengers.   
Seven minutes later, the Helicarrier was going down.   
Three minutes later, he’d gotten the electric cuff off.   
Four minutes later, the Helicarrier crashed.   
One minute and fifteen seconds later, he had it around Fury’s ankle and was dragging him out of the wreckage.   
The next electrical shock ran through the Director’s body.   
The crash hadn’t been too bad- they’d more glided to the ground, but the impact had broken a few things, rendering it unable to fly, as the engines had been blown out by a certain pissed off man in a tin can.   
Fury learned the hard way what happens when he touches Tony’s stuff.   
As it so happened, the Avengers were Tony’s, no matter who was in charge of the team.   
Odin was going to learn the same lesson.   
Leaving Fury where he was, Tony gathered the other Avengers, turned his face towards the sky and shouted,

“Hiemdal! I know you can hear me- I was told _allll_ about you! Open the bifrost!”   
Bruce only had a minute to question what the _hell_ a bifrost was before they were all pulled into space, colors swirling around them, the stars dancing by. Tony couldn’t even find it in himself to marvel at the beauties around him.   
As it was, dozens of armed guards surrounded them when they got there, and led them to Odin, who sat high and mighty and _royally pissed._

“You,” Tony growled as he stalked forward, only to be stopped by the guards.

“You are dismissed,” Odin said, waving a hand at the guards. They left immediately.

“How _dare_ you-”

“Oh no,” Odin cut him off sharply. “How dare _you_ , little mortal, think you can soil my son? How dare you think it okay to steal his pride, his honor!” The god stood, coming down the steps. Tony briefly noticed Frigga was not here, and neither was Thor. “You, a lowly, alcoholic _mortal!_ And then fill his mind with rebellion, with-”

“ _I_ did that? _I_ filled his mind with rebellion? Oh, nonono, that was _you_ , big fella, when you failed to tell him what he was! When you stripped him of what he was, of his magic and threw him in a cell as his _punishment_. When you tortured him to the brink of death and _had him healed so it could start all over_ , just like the _Chituari_. _I_ soiled his pride? His honor? _You_ soiled _him_ ; all of him- mind, body and soul. You are _no better than the alien race that invaded the very planet you sought to protect!_ ”    
Tony heard the others’ behind him take in one collective breath and hold it as Odin seethed in front of him, scepter raising.

“Father!” Thor’s voice rang out from behind them. They all turned to see Thor rushing forward, face flushed with anger, hammer held in a white knuckled grip.   
“Stop this madness!” the thunderer roared, lightning crackling in the air around him.

“I will not,” Odin spit, stepping away from his oldest son. “He is getting what he deserves.”

“Then shall I not get what _I_ deserve? Do I not deserve what he is getting, after doing the very same thing he did to get it?”   
While Thor spoke, Tony thought.   
He needed a plan, that much was obvious. Perhaps, while Thor was talking, Tony could take Bruce with him and together the pair could break Loki out of whatever prison he was in.   
Tony could get his revenge later.   
All semblance of plan, however, went out the window when he saw Loki dragged in.   
Legitimately dragged.   
A trail of blood followed the god, who was slumped between two guards, his head dipped, dark hair spilling in front of his face, bruised and bloodied and looking downright _broken_.   
Tony let out a roar of pure anguished fury as the face plate snapped back into place.

“Anthony,” Loki whimpered.   
After that, all Tony saw was red.

*

He wasn’t sure _what_ happened, but by the time he came back to himself, he was panting hard, struggling to stand.   
Odin was sprawled ten feet away, either unconscious or choosing not to get up.   
The suit was half demolished around him- he could feel it digging into his skin in some places- and beside him, Thor’s hammer was raised, lightning still sparking from it, eyes alight with unabashed anger.   
It appeared Thor had had the same idea Tony did.   
But that didn’t matter now.   
The suit disassembled around him. As soon as he was free, he staggered over to where Loki was on the ground _(the guards were dead beside him, and Tony was fairly certain Nat and Clint had something to do with that)_ , and collapsed to his knees beside him.

“Hey, you’re alright, yeah?” Tony mumbled as he took Loki’s hand in his own.

“Healing,” Loki mustered.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he whispered, looking down at his god.

“I-if you let me take your strength….I can heal faster….”

“Do it. Take everything you need,” he murmured, leaning down to press his forehead to Loki’s.   
Loki nodded minutely and those green eyes fell closed, a few indecipherable words being muttered.   
And then their hands began to _glow_.   
It was a rich, golden light, spiraling outwards from their clasped hands; a star trapped between their palms.   
It was beautiful; absolutely breathtaking.   
Even better was the wounds Loki had gotten- the whipping marks, the knife wounds, the broken bones- began to glow as well, before knitting together, bones snapping back into place, bleeding slowing to a stop.   
And then Loki was smiling up at him, the golden light making him even more beautiful than he already was.   
Tony kissed him then; long and slow and passionate, the light dancing around them.   
He barely felt it, but he heard the words behind him.

“He is not the only one with magic, little mortal….”

Tony sat up and gazed down and saw, with some shock, the head of Odin’s scepter sticking out of the front of his chest.   
He didn’t feel pain.   
_This is what dying feels like…._ he thought, even as the scepter was pulled free.   
He heard what sounded like gunshots, maybe thunder, but it was like everything was far away, too far, too far….  
He fell onto his back but he didn’t feel it. He didn’t feel Loki’s arms wrap around him; the god’s, face suddenly came into view, tears streaking the pale face. He tried to say it was okay, that it didn’t hurt, that he was fine, but he couldn’t get the words out.   
He saw the same soft golden light envelope them, but it was too late.   
He was drifting.   
He tried to say “I love you”, but that didn’t come out either and he realized he wasn’t even going to get  to tell Loki he loved him before he died….  
He really should’ve said it, at least once, but now Loki wouldn’t know.   
There was nothing he could do, though, but drift away…away…away…….

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no....poor Tony....poor Loki....poor everyone except Odin and Fury


	15. Home Sweet Home

He drifted in and out of consciousness, not really aware of what was going on around him.   
Occasionally he’d feel a cool hand on his forehead or held within his own.   
Once he even felt lips on his brow and thought he heard someone whisper “Anthony” into his ear.   
But then awareness slipped away, and with it, consciousness….

*

When he fully awoke, he was in some grand room, a soft pillow beneath his head and silken sheets pulled up to his waist. It was dark, but the reactor gave more than enough light to see. He was bare-chested, and thoroughly confused, until he saw Loki asleep, the god’s head resting on Tony’s stomach, raven locks splayed out across his chest.   
He brought a shaky hand up and ran it gently through Loki’s hair, barely noticing his other hand clasped tightly in one of the god’s.

“Wake up, sleepy head,” he mumbled, voice rough from disuse.   
Loki shot up immediately, eyes moving frantically around before stopping on Tony.

“Anthony!” Loki cried, throwing himself on top of Tony, holding him tightly.

“Easy there, Lo,” Tony murmured, but his own arms came up to wind around the god’s waist.

“I thought I had lost you,” Loki whispered, his face buried in the crook of Tony’s neck.

“Can’t get rid of me that easily, sweetheart,” Tony said into Loki’s hair, kissing the top of his head.

“I know,” Loki breathed out, but it sounded more like a sob.

“Shh, shhh,” Tony gently soothed, stroking his hands along the god’s back comfortingly as Loki sobbed against his chest, letting out everything he’d kept bottled in for…however long Tony was out.

“You were gone, you were dead, we had to bring you back,” Loki cried, drying his tears on Tony’s chest. “I thought we wouldn’t be able to….mother was convinced you were gone….Oh, Anthony,” Loki choked on his own words, and didn’t attempt speaking anymore.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” Tony whispered.

“Don’t you do that,” Loki mumbled, looking up at him with red rimmed but surprisingly clear eyes. “You came back for me; no one has done that, yet you came back. None of this is your fault- don’t make it so.”   
Loki kissed him then; rough and wet and passionate, desperation making it messy and all the better.   
Clothes were soon discarded in a careless pile on the floor; Tony rolled on top of Loki and captured his lips in a heated kiss as the god’s fingers traced every contour of muscle, every curve they could find, memorizing, mapping him out, as if making sure he was there.   
Tony kissed and bit his way along Loki’s neck, taking in every lovely sound that was drawn from that beautiful body beneath him.   
He didn’t waste any time, and neither did Loki.   
The god took Tony’s cock in his hand and magically lubed him.   
Tony let out a low growl of pleasure, and a whimper when Loki’s hand moved away.   
He slowly, carefully pushed into Loki, relishing in the way Loki _writhed_ beneath him, needy moans and whimpers coming from that sinfully beautiful mouth.

“Please,” Loki gasped. “N-need you…”   
Tony hissed and pushed all the way in, finding the perfect angle to hit Loki’s prostate as he pounded into him, bending down to gently kiss his way down the god’s neck, sucking one of his hardening nipples into his mouth before biting sharply.   
Loki let out a cry, back arching, trying to get friction on his flushed cock.   
Tony reached a hand between them and pumped the god’s cock in time with his rough thrusts, and Loki _screamed_.   
The god’s nails scratched red paths down Tony’s back, legs wound around the mechanic’s waist.   
Tony didn’t care about anything in that moment; all he knew was that he was here, with Loki, with _his god_ , and that was all that mattered.   
Loki came with a broken off sob, but Tony didn’t stop and Loki didn’t ask him too.

“Please, m-more, please….” It was a steady mantra from Loki’s lips, tumbling without him really seeming to realize it, but Tony was more than happy to oblige.

“I love you,” Tony whispered, pounding into Loki with more fervor. And that was what it took to absolutely _shatter_ the god.   
Loki sobbed openly now, but the mantra didn’t stop, so neither did Tony.   
Tony came with a yell, but continued thrusting into Loki until the god came his second time.   
Tony collapsed on top of his god, whispering sweet nothings into his ear before moving to capture his lips.   
“I love you,” he murmured again. And again and again and again until he thought his voice would give out and his throat was dry, and even more so because he needed Loki to know, because he almost didn’t have the chance to do it once and wasn’t going to let that happen again.

“I love you too,” Loki whispered once his sobs had stopped.   
And then they simply held each other, legs tangled, bodies so close they melted together, Loki’s head tucked into the crook of Tony’s neck, the light of the arc reactor breaking the darkness, glowing softly around them.

*

Morning came, and with it, responsibilities.   
They’d have to discuss what happened, so they did.   
As it happened, Odin was not killed _(though he was damn close, with all the pissed off people in the room)_.   
He was, however, injured and taken off the throne.   
Thor had become King, though the coronation was not for another week.   
Neither Loki nor Tony would be there for it.   
Three days later, they went home, back to Avengers Tower with the rest of the team _(aside from Thor, of course. He had a realm to run)_.   
Loki could well and sufficiently call it home.   
He didn’t get his own bedroom; he would’ve refused one even if he had.   
Fenrir and Jor now lived in Hela’s home with her in Helheim, but the three would come to visit occasionally.   
Nat and Hela were now apparently best friends, while Fenrir became friends with Clint and Jor became friends with Bruce.   
Steve, as it happened, was made the new Director of SHIELD _._  
This all happened within a month of their return home.   
The night of their second month home, Loki and Tony were curled up on a chair out on the deck, sitting under the stars.   
It was a beautiful night, the stars shining brightly above, the moon large, casting her pale light down on them.

“Have I sufficiently shown you,” Loki murmured, teasing tone to his voice. “How a lover should be treated?”    
Tony nearly fell off of Loki’s lap laughing.

“Oh, Loki,” he said with a smile as he cuddled back up against the grinning god, tucking the blanket around them once more. “You’ve done much, _much_ more than that.”  
Then they kissed and it was soft, and sweet, and oh so perfect.   
At the moment, everything was right _(well, as ‘right’ as anything can be where Tony and Loki were concerned)_ in the world.    


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw...aren't they adorable???


	16. Epilogue

Tony paced nervously in front of the mirror, occasionally bringing his fingers up to fiddle with his tie.

“Relax, Tony,” Steve said with a soft smile. “You’re gonna do great. No need to be nervous.” The super soldier came over and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

“‘Course I am, Steve. I’m not nervous. You’re nervous!” He laughed, and maybe it was a bit hysterical.   
The man in question just chuckled to himself.   
Tony passed his hands through his hair, stopping in front of the mirror for the hundredth time to make sure he looked at alright.

“If you stopped messing with your hair, you wouldn’t have to keep fixing it,” Clint pointed out as he smoothed his hands through his dark locks _again_.

“Shuddup,” was the best he could come up with at the moment.   
Nat poked her head in the door, her red hair in soft waves that framed her face, the deep, emerald green dress accenting her curves wonderfully and making her eyes seem even brighter than usual.   
This was why Loki had done most of the planning.   
Tony would’ve gone with red, but that wouldn’t be flattering on the bridesmaids.   
Of course, since Loki was technically the mother of a horse, it was easily decided who would be the bride today.

“You ready, Tony?” she asked, a smile gracing her red painted lips.   
Tony swallowed and nodded, not sure if he could currently trust his words.   
The spy only grinned and waved him out, disappearing out of view.   
They’d chosen the beach down in Hawaii for obvious reasons.   
It was absolutely gorgeous; the water was clear and blue, the waves crashing softly against the sand, the sun shining brightly above head.   
As Tony made his way to the front, he gazed around, hands shaking.   
This was all too new to him- he wasn’t nervous. He didn’t _get_ nervous.   
But for some reason…this. Commitment. Marriage.   
Fuck, that was some scary shit right there.   
Steve, Bruce and Clint stood at Tony’s side, all of them gazing at him with a variation of smiles; Steve’s soft, Bruce’s amused and Clint’s downright wicked.   
Frigga stood on the side Loki would be, with Nat and Pepper _(who’d been surprisingly accepting of the whole ‘Loki and Tony’ situation)_ at her side.   
When Loki came out…well, for a moment, Tony forgot how to breathe because _holy long legs, Batman.  
_ He was stunning in his Asgardian garb.   
It was simple leather pants with a fitted golden tunic, and an emerald green robe type thing that curved around his shoulders, across the front of his chest and fell over the opposite shoulder.   
And don’t even get him started on that _hair_.   
Raven locks fell in soft waves around his shoulders, a few rebelling strands falling in front of those _sinfully_ green eyes.

“Breathe, darling,” Loki murmured as he found his way up with Tony; no one walked him up because he _blatantly refused_ to have Odin anywhere near him.   
Tony took in a deep breath, locking eyes with his lover for a moment before nodding.   
He didn’t hear anything the preacher said- he was too busy letting his eyes roam over Loki and repeating his vows in his head in case he forgot.   
Someone was speaking to him, he realized.

“Hm?” he asked, a bit dazed.

“Your vows, dear,” Loki said softly, a soft, slightly amused smile on his face.

“Oh, right, um…those.” He cleared his throat, fingers itching to take the worn, folded paper out of his pocket and just read them straight from that. So that’s what he did. He was Tony Fucking Stark. In the words of the most important person on the world, he did what he wanted. The writing on it was almost unidentifiable now, though, having been read and re-read so many times the edges were now worn and ripped.   
He took a deep breath and began.   
“We met because of those bad ideas we both seem to love so much,” he said with a wry smile, clasping Loki’s hands in his own. “I think, if there had been any other way, if we had met any other time, we might not be where we are today…” He shook his head. “Admittedly, it wasn’t the best of circumstances that we began this journey. If I had the chance to….” He bit his lip, gazing down at the paper, falling silent.

“Darling?” Loki asked, a frown dipping his brow.   
Tony folded the paper back up and stuffed it in his pocket.

“Screw it,” he mumbled. “If I could do it over again, change how it happened, I wouldn’t. Everything that’s happened has happened for a reason, no matter how cliché that sounds. I fell in love fast, and when I fell, I fell hard. And that’s never happened to me before. I’ve loved before, I have, but never like _this_. Never someone who’s made my heart try to beat out of my chest just by smiling at me; never someone who’s given me more than he’s received. Never someone who, just by looking at me with those gorgeous eyes of his makes me feel like everything’s going to be okay.” He smiled a bit. “You told me you wanted to show me how a lover should be treated. You’ve done that and so much more. You’ve showed me what it’s like to love and to lose, and yeah, it was tough, but maybe it’s what I needed…need. I didn’t think I could fall in love this fast; hell, I didn’t think I could fall in love at all. I don’t think I ever loved Alex. I think I just…. _needed_ someone. You, sweetheart, have become that someone.” He grinned widely. “No matter how cheesy it sounds, I love you more than the sun loves the sky and the moon loves the stars. You, Loki Laufeyson, are my sun and my stars. And I love you more than I thought anyone could possibly love another being.”   
Loki had teared up a bit during this, and maybe Tony did too, but that’s alright.

“Well, I don’t think anything I have to say will beat that. I’ll try my best though.” The god smiled softly down at him. “I’ve been around a long time, Anthony, and never have I met someone who makes me feel like it’s my first date all over again. You make me nervous, darling. You give me butterflies and I absolutely love it. You’ve given me everything I could ever need. You’ve given me my children, you’ve given me your heart. And you, Anthony,” Loki laughed. “You fought the King of Asgard, Odin, the AllFather, the creator of your little world and you _won_ and you did it for _me_.  That’s more than anyone can say. I can’t tell you how much that means, how much I love you because of it, simply because there aren’t enough words to express it. Thank you, Anthony, for being my star.” Loki’s fingers moved up to rest against the arc reactor. “You gave me light where I didn’t have any. I love you, Anthony Edward Stark, with my entire body, heart and soul. You have bewitched me, a thousand year old god. You have stolen everything I have and claimed it as your own and I absolutely, utterly _love_ you.”   
In the front row, Thor was sobbing.   
Pepper was dabbing at her eyes with a cloth and Frigga was absolutely beaming.   
As soon as the word “kiss” was out of the preacher’s mouth, Tony captured Loki’s lips with his own.

“Mine,” Tony murmured against his lips.

“Yours,” Loki replied, kissing him once more before pulling back and smiling around at everyone.   
Tony Stark, everyone was no longer as alone as alone could possibly get.   
As they stepped away from the altar, Loki magicked a small golden something up in his palm.   
Tony gaped at it as Loki handed it to him, and then grinned widely and bit into the apple.

“Forever?” Loki asked.  
Tony grinned.

“Forever.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, because this is finished, I wanted to get it all up. Lucky for you guys! Hope you like!


	17. Possible Sequel?

Dear readers,

I'm thinking about doing a sequel to this. In fact, I  _want_ to do a sequel to this, but I'm afraid I don't know what it should be about.   
So, if you have any ideas or anything you want me to address/go into more detail about, please comment it.   
Even if they have nothing to do with this particular story, comment them. I want to see your ideas.   
I will give proper credit where it belongs, so no need to worry about that.   
If you would like to see a sequel/would read a sequel, lemme know!   
Thanks to everyone who's read Alone No Longer, I really appreciate it! This has been my most popular story so far, so I'm really happy about that.   
I love you all, my darlings.

Love, Kyli


	18. Fanart????

Dear readers,  
If anyone knows of any fan art- though I very much doubt it because there's no way this is good enough to warrant any- msg me with the link!   
I think I would cry of happiness if there was any, and id really appreciate knowing.  
Thanks to anyone who's read this story and/or commented!  
Love, Kyli

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry, I don't like Alex either. I don't think he'll be in anymore chapters, but if he is, I'll let Loki rip off a limb or two. 
> 
> Un beta'd. All mistakes are my own. Though perhaps writing at one thirty in the morning is not the best idea, I couldn't get this out of my head.


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